What Are Bokkoms? The South African Salted Dried Fish Explained
Bokkoms are whole salted and air-dried fish from South Africa's West Coast, often called the biltong of the sea. Here is what they are and how they are eaten.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Bokkoms are whole salted and air-dried fish from South Africa's West Coast, made most often from mullet, known locally as harders. The fish are gutted, salted or brined and then hung in the wind to dry, giving a firm, strongly savoury and very salty result that is often called the biltong of the sea. They are usually eaten sliced thin with bread and butter, or flaked into salads and mieliepap. In the UK you can find the South African and African food shops that stock speciality dried fish like this near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Bokkoms are whole salted and air-dried fish from South Africa's West Coast, the Weskus.
- They are usually made from mullet, known locally as harders.
- The fish are gutted, salted or brined in seawater, then hung to dry in the wind.
- They are strongly savoury and very salty, and are eaten in small amounts.
- Bokkoms are fish, not meat, which sets them apart from biltong.
Along South Africa's West Coast, bunches of bokkoms hanging to dry in the sea breeze are a familiar sight, and for many people from the Weskus the smell and taste carry a whole way of life. This is the food of fishing communities, a way of turning a good catch into something that keeps, and a reminder of home for South Africans far from that windswept coast.
There is real heritage in a plate of thinly sliced bokkoms with bread and butter, in the patience of salting and hanging fish the way it has always been done. It is honest, hard-wearing food, born of the sea and the wind, and it means a great deal to those who grew up with it. To share a piece with someone new is to hand them a taste of the West Coast itself.
What Bokkoms Actually Are
Bokkoms are whole fish that have been salted and air-dried until firm and preserved, a traditional food of South Africa's West Coast. They are most often made from mullet, a fish known locally as harders, which run in good numbers along that stretch of coast. Because they are cured and dried much like biltong is, bokkoms are often called the biltong of the sea, though the comparison is about the method rather than the ingredient: bokkoms are fish, while biltong is dried, cured meat.
The result of all that salt and wind is intense. Bokkoms are deeply savoury and very salty, with a concentrated, almost chewy texture once dried. A little goes a long way, which is exactly the point of a preserved food. They sit firmly within South African food as a heritage item of the Weskus, the kind of thing that speaks of a particular place and a particular community rather than of the country as a whole.
How Bokkoms Are Made
The making of bokkoms is simple and traditional, shaped by the coast and its weather. The fish are first gutted and cleaned, then brined in seawater or packed in salt, which draws out moisture and begins the preserving. After salting, the fish are hung up, often in bunches, and left to dry in the wind and air of the West Coast. It is the steady coastal breeze, as much as the salt, that turns fresh fish into firm, keeping bokkoms.
This is a heritage preparation of the Weskus fishing communities, a practical answer to the question of what to do with a plentiful catch. Drying in the wind needs no special equipment, only salt, fish and time, and it produces something that lasts far longer than fresh fish ever could. That combination of salt and air is what gives bokkoms their characteristic firmness and their strong, savoury depth.
How Bokkoms Are Eaten
The classic way to enjoy bokkoms is the simplest. The dried fish is sliced thin and eaten with fresh bread and butter, the softness of the bread balancing the firm, salty fish. Eaten this way, a small amount is plenty, and it makes a satisfying snack or a light meal in the West Coast style. Many people rate it as everyday comfort food rather than anything fancy.
Bokkoms are also flaked and added to other dishes. Pulled apart into flakes, they lift a salad with a savoury, salty note, or they can be stirred through mieliepap, the maize porridge that is a staple across South Africa. In every case the fish is used sparingly, because it is so concentrated in flavour and salt. Because bokkoms are a fish product, they are not suitable for anyone with a fish allergy, and their high salt content means they are best enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Where to Buy Bokkoms in the UK
Bokkoms are a speciality item, so the place to look in Britain is a shop that serves South African and wider African customers, where dried and cured fish are sold alongside other Weskus and South African favourites. Some shops carry them ready-made, and they keep well thanks to the salting and drying that made them in the first place. If you cannot find bokkoms exactly, the same shops are the ones most likely to know where to point you. You can find African food stores near you to see which shops nearby stock South African speciality foods.
Frequently asked questions
What are bokkoms?
Bokkoms are whole salted and air-dried fish from South Africa's West Coast, usually made from mullet, which is known locally as harders. The fish are gutted, salted or brined and then hung to dry in the wind until firm and preserved. They are strongly savoury and very salty, and are often called the biltong of the sea.
What do bokkoms taste like?
Bokkoms are deeply savoury and very salty, with a firm, concentrated, slightly chewy texture from the salting and drying. Because the flavour is so strong, they are eaten in small amounts. Most people enjoy them sliced thin with bread and butter, which balances the intense saltiness of the fish.
Are bokkoms the same as biltong?
No. Both are dried and cured South African staples made by salting and air-drying, and bokkoms are sometimes called the biltong of the sea, but the difference is the ingredient. Bokkoms are fish, made from mullet, while biltong is dried, cured meat. They share a method and a heritage, not a main ingredient.
How do you eat bokkoms?
The classic way is to slice bokkoms thin and eat them with fresh bread and butter as a snack or light meal. They are also flaked into salads or stirred through mieliepap, the South African maize porridge. Because they are a fish product and very high in salt, they are not suitable for anyone with a fish allergy and are best enjoyed in moderation.
Where can I buy bokkoms in the UK?
Bokkoms are a speciality food, so the best place to look is a shop that serves South African and African customers, which is where dried and cured fish tend to be sold. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks South African speciality foods like bokkoms.
