Dried Bonga Fish (Shawa) – Smoked West African Fish, 15 Pieces

Bonga Fish

Smoked and dried bonga shad. Shawa in Yoruba, and the everyday smoked fish of West African cooking. Not the expensive one, the reliable one.

Where stockfish is for Sunday, bonga is for Tuesday. It is what most Nigerian homes actually cook with most of the time, and it does more work than it gets credit for.

How to prepare

1. Rinse in warm water to remove surface ash from the smoking. Do not skip this.
2. Break into pieces and remove the bones and head if you prefer. Many people leave the head in for flavour and fish it out later.
3. Add partway through cooking. Bonga is soft and will disintegrate entirely if it goes in too early, which some cooks actually want.

What it goes into

• Efo riro, egusi, ogbono, okra
• Ewedu and gbegiri
• Yam and plantain porridge
• Stewed beans, jollof, and everyday stew

Taste

Strongly smoky, oily and savoury. It gives a soup that unmistakable smoked-fish backbone. Assertive enough that a couple of pieces flavour a whole pot.

Product details

• Also known as: bonga, shawa, bonga shad, smoked fish, Ethmalosa fimbriata
• Pack: 15 pieces, 14oz
• Storage: Airtight in a cool dry place, or freeze to keep longer.

Shipped from Nexxtmart to anywhere in the United States.

Allergen: fish.