Berma Curfu

Fermented fish salad — berma pieces briefly toasted over an open flame or in a dry pan to intensify their flavour and remove the raw edge, then broken apart and mixed by hand with thinly sliced raw shallots, chopped green chilli, sliced green tomato or raw mango, fresh coriander or wild herbs, and lime juice. The curfu (salad/mixed preparation) is not cooked beyond the brief toasting of the berma; it is assembled cold and eaten immediately. The contrast of the intensely pungent, toasted fermented fish against the fresh, sharp raw vegetables produces a complex flavour that is simultaneously funky, sour, and fresh. The berma curfu functions as both a condiment and a side dish; a small portion is placed alongside rice and other preparations at every meal. Particularly popular as a breakfast accompaniment with plain rice porridge.