Bonga shad hot-smoked whole and then dried, flaked into stews across the Gambia. Bonga is the country’s most-caught fish; women smoke it over wood at riverside sites such as Tanji and trade it inland and across borders.
It is a riverside smoking-yard trade: banks of wood-fired ovens run continuously for days, and the drying is what preserves the fish — a short run in a domestic smoker leaves something perishable and quite different.
What goes into it
- bonga shad, whole
- hardwood and coconut husk for smoke
How it is made
The fish are laid whole on racks over open wood fires in banks of clay ovens, smoked hot until cooked through, then kept over lower heat for a day or more until they are dry and hard. Smoke compounds on the surface and the loss of water together let them keep for weeks without refrigeration.
How long it takes: one to three days over the fires
How it is eaten
Flaked into domoda, benachin and okra stews, where it dissolves into the sauce.
History
Bonga is the Gambia’s most caught fish; women smoke it over wood at riverside sites such as Tanji and trade it inland and to neighbouring countries.
Frequently asked questions
What is Smoked bonga?
Smoked bonga is a charcuterie & cured from Gambia: bonga shad hot-smoked whole and dried, flaked into stews. Bonga is the Gambia’s most caught fish; women smoke it over wood at riverside sites such as Tanji and trade it inland and to neighbouring countries.
How is Smoked bonga made?
The fish are laid whole on racks over open wood fires in banks of clay ovens, smoked hot until cooked through, then kept over lower heat for a day or more until they are dry and hard. Smoke compounds on the surface and the loss of water together let them keep for weeks without refrigeration. It takes one to three days over the fires.
Can I make Smoked bonga at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a riverside smoking-yard trade: banks of wood-fired ovens run continuously for days, and the drying is what preserves the fish — a short run in a domestic smoker leaves something perishable and quite different.
What goes into Smoked bonga?
Bonga shad, whole, hardwood and coconut husk for smoke.
How is Smoked bonga eaten?
Flaked into domoda, benachin and okra stews, where it dissolves into the sauce.
