Ubangi river fish split open and smoked black, then crumbled into sauces across the Central African Republic. Smoking on wooden racks was the standard way of moving protein inland long before refrigeration reached the region.
It needs a continuous smouldering wood fire under a rack for a day or more, and the drying is what preserves it — an oven smoker run for an hour produces a different and perishable thing.
What goes into it
- river fish, split and flattened
- hardwood for smoke
How it is made
The fish is split down the back, opened flat, and laid on a rack over a smouldering hardwood fire. It smokes for a day or more, drying as it goes, until it is stiff, dark and light in the hand. The combination of water loss and smoke compounds on the surface keeps it edible for weeks in a hot climate.
How long it takes: one to two days on the rack
How it is eaten
Broken into groundnut sauce, cassava-leaf stew and pepper soup, where it dissolves and seasons the whole pot.
History
River fishers on the Ubangi and Sangha smoke their catch on wooden racks, the standard way of moving protein inland before refrigeration.
Frequently asked questions
What is Poisson fumé?
Poisson fumé is a charcuterie & cured from Central African Republic: ubangi river fish split and smoked black, crumbled into every sauce. River fishers on the Ubangi and Sangha smoke their catch on wooden racks, the standard way of moving protein inland before refrigeration.
How is Poisson fumé made?
The fish is split down the back, opened flat, and laid on a rack over a smouldering hardwood fire. It smokes for a day or more, drying as it goes, until it is stiff, dark and light in the hand. The combination of water loss and smoke compounds on the surface keeps it edible for weeks in a hot climate. It takes one to two days on the rack.
Can I make Poisson fumé at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It needs a continuous smouldering wood fire under a rack for a day or more, and the drying is what preserves it — an oven smoker run for an hour produces a different and perishable thing.
What goes into Poisson fumé?
River fish, split and flattened, hardwood for smoke.
How is Poisson fumé eaten?
Broken into groundnut sauce, cassava-leaf stew and pepper soup, where it dissolves and seasons the whole pot.
