Regulations in California, New York, and probably elsewhere in the United States require fish smoked this way to be eviscerated before smoking to eliminate the possibility of botulism infection. That is often not done in Africa, causing some regulatory problems with imported smoked fish. Caution: fish smoked by traditional methods have been shown to exceed EU limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are considered a cancer risk. Consumption should be kept moderate, just as with BBQ, which has the same problem.
More on Fish - Dried, Salted & Smoked
These smoked Herring are quite common in Nigeria. They are very dry and
extremely fragile. they have a lot of tiny bones, but the ribs and
backbone are easily removed intact. Most of the remaining bone are too
tiny to be a problem. The photo specimens, 3-1/2 inch random lengths,
were "peeled" (scaled) and eviscerated before smoking. They were also
headless, but I couldn't tell if the heads were removed before smoking
or snapped off later. They were purchased on-line for 2018 US $15.98 /
pound.
This fish ins very important through most of West Africa. Traditionally
nearly all were smoked, but as ice becomes more common in the region,
demand for fresh Bonga Shad is increasing.
Details and Cooking.
For recipes, this fish should placed in a heat proof bowl, then pour
boiling water over it to cover well. Soak for about an hour, then drain
and pick it apart, removing all the bones. Break the flesh into small
pieces, as they will remain very firm through cooking. The head is not
used.
This is dry smoked Hake / Whiting. How it gets to Nigeria I don't know, since
it isn't found much south of Morocco, but it is very popular there. The photo
specimens are large (largest 4.8 ounces) and headless. More commonly they
are quite a bit smaller, heads on, with the tails stuck into the mouth to
make the circle. These were quite meaty, and very easy to break apart and
remove the skins and bones before soaking for use. These specimens were
purchased on-line for 2022 US $14.56 / pound + $10 shipping.
Smoked Barracuda is quit popular in Nigeria. Large ones are smoked as pieces,
but smaller ones are smoked whole, head on, and look very ferocious.
Fortunately, the coast of West Africa is not a reef environment, so even
large Barracuda should be safe to eat. Most of the catch will be
Guinean Barracuda, but some
European Barracuda is also present
along the West African coast. The photo specimen was a chunk 7 inches long
and weighing 14-3/4 ounces. It was purchased on-line for 2018 US $14.99 /
pound.
Mackerel is a very popular fish in West Africa, smoked, and, as ice and
refrigeration become more common, fresh. I have not yet found African Smoke
Dried Mackerel for sale in North America, so the photo is borrowed from
24 Hours Market in Nigeria, 2021 Nigerian Naira ₦1200.00 (US $2.88)
per each. They were described as "Size 2", but no dimension was given.
Smoke dried Titus Fish is also sold by other sources curled into a donut
shape.
"Mangala" does not refer to a particular fish, but to a method. Large shallow water fish are cut into pieces before smoking rather than smoked whole. Fish under this name are smoked in northern Nigeria, and may include Aba Aba Knifefish and various Catfish. Much of this fish is sold in southern Nigeria where it is highly prized. The photo specimens were Aba Aba and ordered on-line at a cost of 2022 US $35.00 for 18 ounces (500 gms - $2.19 / ounce).
Instructions were "Soak it, pick it apart, enhance the flavor of the
mangala fish with a little spice. Throw it into that pot of soup to unleash
that incredible flavor it packs. Savor every bit of it". Wood smoke is very
evident in the flavor.
Smoke Drying isn't restricted to Africa. In Thailand, this small
Featherback is smoke dried and ground for use in Nam Phrik Pla Salat,
a dipping sauce used for raw vegetables and the like. It's not available
here in Los Angeles, but probably one of the African fish above would work
well enough.