East Africa · Side
Lasary voatabia
A vibrant, zesty Malagasy tomato and scallion relish crushed with ginger and fiery chili to cut through rich meat stews and rice.
The story
Ubiquitous across every province of Madagascar, lasary voatabia is the indispensable condiment that sits at the center of the daily family table alongside mounds of vary (steamed rice). It is served alongside hearty meat dishes like romazava or hen'akondro to provide an acidic, fresh counterpoint that cuts through rich animal fats. Rather than finely dicing the components as in a Latin salsa, traditional home cooks pound the aromatics lightly in a wooden mortar to crush cell walls and release aromatic pectin without pureeing.
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