West Africa · Side
Chaviar (Imraguen Salt-Cured Dried Mullet Roe)
Sun-cured golden mullet bottarga meticulously salted and pressed along the Banc d'Arguin coast for intense umami.
The story
Chaviar is the prized dried roe crafted exclusively by the Imraguen people, an indigenous coastal community inhabiting the shallow waters of the Banc d'Arguin National Park. Harvested during the autumn migration of yellow mullet (Mugil cephalus), often facilitated by cooperative fishing alongside wild dolphins, the roe is cured using ancient artisanal methods. Masters of this craft wash the extracted egg sacks only in natural sea brine, as fresh water would rupture the delicate ovarian membranes during pressing.
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