Wak Mosdeng

Pork with fermented chilli-fish paste — pork (wak) diced and cooked with a freshly pounded paste of roasted dried chilli, fermented fish (berma), shallots, garlic, and ginger into a thick, dark, intensely flavoured stir-fry with no added water. The mosdeng paste is the signature flavour vehicle: the roasted chilli provides smoky heat, the berma provides savoury depth, and the shallots provide sweetness. All moisture comes from the pork itself as the fat renders. The final preparation is drier than the wahan mosdeng and more intensely spiced; the pork pieces are coated in the thick paste with the fat visible. The distinction between wahan mosdeng and wak mosdeng varies by region and family — some Tripuri communities use 'wahan' and 'wak' interchangeably, while others distinguish by preparation style or cut of pork.