What Is Makayabu? The Congolese Salt Fish Explained
Makayabu is Congolese salt fish, cod or pollock cured by salting and drying, then soaked and fried or stewed with onion, tomato, garlic and chilli. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Makayabu, also known as salt fish or salted cod, is a Congolese favourite of fish, often cod or pollock, that has been preserved by salting and drying, then soaked in water to draw out the excess salt before it is fried or stewed with onion, tomato, garlic and chilli. The curing gives the fish a firm texture and a deep, savoury flavour, and the finished dish is robust and satisfying. It is an everyday protein served with rice, plantain, chikwangue or fufu, and it is just as happily eaten as a snack with a cold drink. In the UK the salted fish and the ingredients to cook it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Makayabu is Congolese salt fish, usually cod or pollock, cured by salting and drying.
- It is also known as salt fish, salted cod or morue salee.
- It is soaked before cooking to draw out excess salt, then fried or stewed with onion, tomato, garlic and chilli.
- It is served with rice, plantain, chikwangue or fufu, often with pili pili chilli.
- Makayabu is salted, cured fish and is different from ndakala, the tiny whole dried fish.
Few things say home to a Congolese kitchen quite like the smell of makayabu frying in a hot pan, its edges turning gold as the onions soften around it. It is the fish that has been soaking quietly in a bowl of water since the morning, ready to be cooked into a robust, savoury plate that anchors the family table. For Congolese families in Britain it carries the memory of a food that keeps well, travels far and never loses its comfort.
There is something reassuring about a fish that was cured to last. Long before refrigeration, salting and drying meant good protein could be stored and shared, and that practical wisdom lives on in every plate of makayabu. To cook it in a kitchen far from Kinshasa is to keep that thread unbroken, and to serve it with rice and a spoonful of chilli is to offer someone a taste of the Congo at its most homely.
What Makayabu Actually Is
Makayabu is the Congolese name for salt fish, a fish, most often cod or pollock, that has been preserved by salting and drying so that it keeps for a long time without refrigeration. The curing draws moisture out of the flesh and leaves it firm, dense and deeply savoury, which is why it needs soaking in water before cooking to remove the excess salt. Once soaked and rinsed, the fish is ready to be fried until golden or simmered into a stew with onion, tomato, garlic and chilli.
The result is a hearty, full-flavoured dish that works as an everyday protein and as a snack in its own right. It sits comfortably within the wider world of Congolese food, served alongside staples such as fufu or chikwangue, and it belongs to the same family of preserved fish as stockfish, another cured fish loved across Central and West Africa.
Makayabu Versus Ndakala
It is worth knowing that makayabu is not the only dried fish in the Congolese kitchen, and it is easy to confuse it with ndakala. The difference is real and simple. Makayabu is salted, cured fish, usually cod or pollock, sold in large pieces or fillets that are soaked before cooking. Ndakala, by contrast, is tiny whole dried fish, cooked whole and used quite differently in the pot.
So when a recipe calls for makayabu it means the big, salted fish that needs soaking, not the small dried fish. Both are preserved, both are prized for their savoury depth, but they are distinct ingredients with their own textures and roles. Knowing which is which makes it far easier to shop for the right one and to cook the dish as it is meant to be.
How Makayabu Is Made and Served
Cooking makayabu begins the day before, or at least several hours ahead, with soaking. The salted fish is left in cold water, often with the water changed once or twice, so that the excess salt is drawn out and the flesh softens. It is then rinsed, and any bones or skin dealt with, before it is fried in hot oil until golden or simmered gently in a sauce of onion, tomato, garlic and chilli. A spoonful of pili pili, the fiery chilli condiment, is a common finishing touch.
Makayabu is a fish dish, so it is worth a gentle note for anyone with a fish allergy, and because it is a cured, salted food it is naturally high in salt; soaking it well before cooking reduces that considerably, and it is best enjoyed in moderation as part of a varied plate. It is served with rice, plantain, chikwangue or fufu, and often with a fresh pepper sauce on the side. Whether fried crisp as a snack with a cold drink or stewed for a family meal, makayabu is generous, savoury and made to be shared.
Where to Buy Makayabu in the UK
Makayabu is sold ready salted and dried by African food shops in Britain, usually stocked alongside stockfish and other preserved fish. It keeps well, so it is an easy ingredient to have in the cupboard, and the onion, tomato, garlic and chilli needed to cook it are simple to gather. Shops serving Central and West African customers are the surest place to find good salted cod or pollock, along with pili pili chilli and the staples to serve it with. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is makayabu?
Makayabu is Congolese salt fish, a fish such as cod or pollock that has been preserved by salting and drying, then soaked in water to draw out the excess salt before it is fried or stewed with onion, tomato, garlic and chilli. It is a robust, savoury everyday protein that is also enjoyed as a snack with a cold drink. It is served with rice, plantain, chikwangue or fufu, often with pili pili chilli.
What does makayabu taste like?
Makayabu is deeply savoury and robust, with a firm, dense texture from the curing. Cooked with onion, tomato, garlic and chilli it takes on a rich, well seasoned flavour, and a spoonful of pili pili adds heat. Soaking before cooking removes most of the salt, leaving a full flavoured fish rather than an overly salty one.
How is makayabu different from ndakala?
Makayabu is salted, cured fish, usually cod or pollock, sold in large pieces and soaked before cooking. Ndakala is tiny whole dried fish, cooked whole and used differently in the pot. Both are preserved and savoury, but they are distinct ingredients, so a recipe calling for makayabu means the big salted fish, not the small dried one.
How is makayabu made?
The salted fish is soaked in cold water for several hours, with the water changed once or twice, to draw out the excess salt and soften the flesh. It is then rinsed and either fried in hot oil until golden or stewed in a sauce of onion, tomato, garlic and chilli. It is served with rice, plantain, chikwangue or fufu, often finished with pili pili chilli.
Where can I buy makayabu in the UK?
Makayabu is sold ready salted and dried by African food shops, usually alongside stockfish and other preserved fish, and it keeps well in the cupboard. Shops serving Central and West African customers stock good salted cod or pollock along with pili pili chilli and the staples to serve it with. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks it.