Pit-fermented breadfruit preserved for months or years, then baked before eating. It is typhoon insurance: the pit is dug in good years so there is food in bad ones, and some pits are inherited.
It is an anaerobic pit ferment held for months or years, sealed under earth and stone; a shortened version in a bucket has neither the acidity nor the seal that makes the traditional pit work.
What goes into it
- breadfruit
- leaves to line the pit
- stones and earth to seal it
How it is made
A pit is dug and lined with leaves, peeled breadfruit is packed in, covered with more leaves, weighted with stones and sealed with earth. With the air excluded, lactic bacteria acidify the mass over months into a dense sour paste that keeps for years. It is dug out as needed and baked into a loaf.
How long it takes: months at minimum; pits are kept for years and sometimes decades
How it is eaten
Dug out, mixed with coconut cream and baked into a dense sour loaf.
History
Breadfruit is fermented in stone-lined pits for months or years as insurance against typhoons, then baked into a sour dense loaf.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mahr?
Mahr is a salad & side from Micronesia: pit-fermented breadfruit preserved for months, then baked before eating. Breadfruit is fermented in stone-lined pits for months or years as insurance against typhoons, then baked into a sour dense loaf.
How is Mahr made?
A pit is dug and lined with leaves, peeled breadfruit is packed in, covered with more leaves, weighted with stones and sealed with earth. With the air excluded, lactic bacteria acidify the mass over months into a dense sour paste that keeps for years. It is dug out as needed and baked into a loaf. It takes months at minimum; pits are kept for years and sometimes decades.
Can I make Mahr at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is an anaerobic pit ferment held for months or years, sealed under earth and stone; a shortened version in a bucket has neither the acidity nor the seal that makes the traditional pit work.
What goes into Mahr?
Breadfruit, leaves to line the pit, stones and earth to seal it.
How is Mahr eaten?
Dug out, mixed with coconut cream and baked into a dense sour loaf.
