What Is Mukene? The Ugandan Silver Fish Explained
Mukene is the tiny sun-dried silver fish from Lake Victoria, soaked and then fried or simmered into a nutty tomato and groundnut sauce. Here is what it is and how it is cooked.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Mukene is the tiny silver fish netted from Lake Victoria and other Ugandan lakes, then spread out and sun-dried until light and crisp. Sold dried by the handful, it is soaked to soften and then fried with onion, or simmered into a rich sauce with tomato and groundnut paste, and it is often stirred through greens. Cheap, filling and full of protein, mukene is an everyday staple in many Ugandan homes and a familiar taste from the lakeside markets. In the UK the dried mukene and the other ingredients to cook it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Mukene is the tiny silver fish from Lake Victoria and other Ugandan lakes, sold sun-dried.
- It is soaked first, then fried or simmered into a sauce with onion, tomato and groundnut paste.
- It is a cheap, protein-rich everyday staple, often eaten with posho, matoke or greens.
- It is similar in use to other small dried fish across Africa, but mukene is the Ugandan lake fish.
- Dried mukene keeps well and is easy to stock in a UK kitchen from African food shops.
Down at the lakeside markets, mukene is laid out to dry in wide silver drifts that catch the sun, and the smell of it toasting in a hot pan with onions is one of the most ordinary and comforting scents of a Ugandan kitchen. It is the fish that stretches a meal, the one a mother reaches for when there are many mouths and not much money, and it never fails to satisfy.
There is real pride in a food this humble. A handful of little dried fish, some tomato and a spoon of groundnut paste turn into a sauce that people grew up on and still crave. To cook mukene in a flat far from Kampala is to bring back the taste of home in the plainest, most honest way, and to share a plate of it is to pass on a little of the everyday warmth of Uganda.
What Mukene Actually Is
Mukene is the name Ugandans give to the tiny silver fish, a small silver cyprinid sometimes called silverfish, that is netted in great numbers from Lake Victoria and other lakes. The fresh fish are small enough to hold several on a fingertip, and rather than being sold fresh they are usually spread out on racks or open ground and sun-dried until they are light, dry and slightly crisp. In that dried form mukene keeps for a long time and travels well, which is part of why it has become such a dependable everyday food.
Dried mukene is sold loose by the handful or by the bag in markets and shops, and it forms part of the wider world of Ugandan food as one of its most affordable sources of protein. It is a staple more than a treat, the kind of ingredient a household keeps on hand to turn into a quick, nourishing meal on almost any day.
How Mukene Compares to Other Small Dried Fish
Small dried fish are used all over Africa, and if you have cooked with them before you will recognise the idea straight away, but it helps to keep mukene in its own place. Mukene is specifically the small silver fish of Uganda's lakes, above all Lake Victoria, dried whole and cooked in a Ugandan way. It is the East African cousin of the many small dried fish found in West African and other kitchens, and it is used in a very similar spirit, soaked and then cooked into sauces and greens.
The similarity is in the method rather than the exact fish. Mukene is its own lake species, so while it plays the same role that other small dried fish play elsewhere, it is not simply the same thing under another name. When Ugandans talk about mukene they mean this particular silver fish from their own waters, and the dishes built around it are part of Ugandan home cooking.
How Mukene Is Made and Served
Cooking mukene starts with a soak. Because it is sold dried and salty, the fish is rinsed and left in water for a little while to soften and to draw out some of the salt, and any grit is picked over and removed. From there it can go one of two main ways. It is often fried gently with sliced onion until fragrant, which gives a drier, savoury dish, or it is simmered into a sauce with onion and tomato, very often enriched with groundnut paste for a smooth, nutty finish. Stirred through greens, it adds savour and body to an otherwise simple pot of vegetables.
Mukene is almost always eaten with a starchy staple to soak up the sauce, such as posho, matoke, rice or cassava. A gentle note on allergens and seasoning: mukene is fish, so it is not suitable for anyone with a fish allergy, and the groundnut paste it is often cooked with is a peanut, which is a common allergen too. The dried fish is naturally salty, so it is worth soaking it and tasting before adding more salt. As with any food, treat these as general points rather than medical advice.
Where to Buy Mukene in the UK
In Britain, dried mukene is stocked by African food shops that serve East African customers, usually sold in bags among the other dried fish and store-cupboard staples. Alongside it you can pick up the onion, tomato and groundnut paste for the sauce and a starchy staple such as posho flour, matoke or cassava to serve with it. Because mukene is dried it keeps well in a cupboard, so it is an easy ingredient to have ready for a quick, protein-rich meal. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is mukene?
Mukene is the tiny silver fish netted from Lake Victoria and other Ugandan lakes, then sun-dried until light and crisp. Sold dried by the handful, it is soaked to soften and then fried with onion or simmered into a sauce with tomato and groundnut paste, and it is often stirred through greens. It is a cheap, protein-rich everyday staple in many Ugandan homes.
What does mukene taste like?
Mukene has a savoury, concentrated fish flavour that comes from being dried, milder and cleaner than many people expect from a small dried fish once it has been soaked. Fried with onion it is dry and toasty, while simmered with tomato and groundnut paste it turns rich and nutty. It carries plenty of savour into greens and sauces.
How is mukene different from other small dried fish?
Mukene is specifically the small silver fish of Uganda's lakes, above all Lake Victoria, dried whole and cooked in a Ugandan way. It is the East African cousin of the small dried fish used elsewhere in Africa and is used in a very similar way, soaked and then cooked into sauces and greens. It is its own lake species rather than simply the same fish under another name.
How is mukene cooked?
Dried mukene is first rinsed and soaked to soften it and draw out some salt, and any grit is picked over. It is then either fried gently with onion for a drier dish, or simmered with onion, tomato and groundnut paste into a smooth, nutty sauce, and it is often added to greens. It is served with a starchy staple such as posho, matoke, rice or cassava.
Where can I buy mukene in the UK?
Dried mukene is sold by African food shops that serve East African customers, usually in bags alongside the other dried fish and store-cupboard staples. In the same shops you can find onion, tomato and groundnut paste for the sauce and a staple such as posho flour or matoke to serve with it. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.