Iʻa maloʻo (salted and dried fish)
Reef fish opened, rubbed with salt, and dried in the sun and wind. It keeps for weeks and is nibbled as is or crumbled into poi.
Reef fish opened, rubbed with salt, and dried in the sun and wind. It keeps for weeks and is nibbled as is or crumbled into poi.
When I sailed to Hawaiʻi or Maui to visit my people, we never left without iʻa maloʻo. The fishermen opened the fish, rubbed it with paʻakai, and laid it out in the full sun and trade wind until it dried and hardened. Thus treated, it endured days of crossing without spoiling. A piece of this salted fish with a handful of poi, and the traveler stood strong from morning to evening.
- •Reef fish (akule, ʻōpelu) — several (preserved protein)
- •Sea salt (paʻakai) — abundantly (dehydrate and preserve)
Iʻa maloʻo (salted and dried fish)
Reef fish opened, rubbed with salt, and dried in the sun and wind. It keeps for weeks and is nibbled as is or crumbled into poi.
Why this dish? Liliuokalani sailed from island to island across her kingdom; salted-dried fish was the durable provision of Hawaiians at sea and on land, guaranteeing salty umami when the day's catch was lacking.
When I sailed to Hawaiʻi or Maui to visit my people, we never left without iʻa maloʻo. The fishermen opened the fish, rubbed it with paʻakai, and laid it out in the full sun and trade wind until it dried and hardened. Thus treated, it endured days of crossing without spoiling. A piece of this salted fish with a handful of poi, and the traveler stood strong from morning to evening.
Ingredients (period version)
- Reef fish (akule, ʻōpelu) — several (preserved protein)
- Sea salt (paʻakai) — abundantly (dehydrate and preserve)
Ingredients
- Firm fish fillets (mackerel, sea bream) — 500 g (protein)
- Coarse sea salt — 3 tbsp (salt and preserve)
Method
- Open the fillets like a book so they are thin and flat.
- Rub generously with salt on both sides; let drain for 1 hour in the fridge.
- Pat dry, then dry in a dehydrator, in an oven at 60 °C with the door ajar, or in full sun under a net, until the flesh is firm and dry (4–8 h depending on thickness).
- Store in a cloth or jar. Eat as is, lightly grilled, or crumbled into poi.
How it was made : Without refrigeration, salting and drying in the sun and wind was the great fish preservation technique in the Pacific. Dried fish accompanied inter-island voyages and provided a valuable reserve outside fishing season.
The contemporary twist : Crumbled as 'homemade furikake' over a bowl of warm rice and avocado, for an island-inspired lunchbox.
Sources : Margaret Titcomb, Native Use of Fish in Hawaii, Polynesian Society / University of Hawaiʻi Press · Rachel Laudan, The Food of Paradise, 1996
Liliuokalani · Charactorium