Salted fish fermented until intensely pungent, used to season Ghanaian stews. It is a coastal preservation method that produces a seasoning as sharp as any Asian fish sauce, and a very small amount goes a long way.
A long ambient ferment of raw fish is a low-acid, high-protein preserve kept safe only by a salt ratio measured against the fish — the same class as prahok and mahyawa.
What goes into it
- sea fish, whole or split
- coarse salt in quantity
How it is made
The fish is salted heavily and left in a covered container for several days to weeks, during which its own enzymes and salt-tolerant bacteria break the flesh down and release ammonia. It is then partly dried and sold in pieces, still soft and extremely strong-smelling.
How long it takes: several days to weeks
How it is eaten
A small piece dropped into palm-nut soup, okra stew or shito, where it dissolves.
History
A Ghanaian coastal preservation method: fish is heavily salted and left to ferment, producing a seasoning as sharp as any Asian fish sauce.
Frequently asked questions
What is Momone?
Momone is a fermented & pickled from Ghana: salted fish fermented until intensely pungent, used to season stews. A Ghanaian coastal preservation method: fish is heavily salted and left to ferment, producing a seasoning as sharp as any Asian fish sauce.
How is Momone made?
The fish is salted heavily and left in a covered container for several days to weeks, during which its own enzymes and salt-tolerant bacteria break the flesh down and release ammonia. It is then partly dried and sold in pieces, still soft and extremely strong-smelling. It takes several days to weeks.
Can I make Momone at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. A long ambient ferment of raw fish is a low-acid, high-protein preserve kept safe only by a salt ratio measured against the fish — the same class as prahok and mahyawa.
What goes into Momone?
Sea fish, whole or split, coarse salt in quantity.
How is Momone eaten?
A small piece dropped into palm-nut soup, okra stew or shito, where it dissolves.
