Bokkoms facts for kids
Bokkoms
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| Place of origin | South Africa |
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Bokkoms (sometimes called Bokkems) is a special type of dried fish from the West Coast of South Africa. It's made from whole mullet fish, which are also known as "harders" in South Africa.
To make bokkoms, the fish are salted and then left to dry in the sun and wind. People usually peel off the skin before eating them. Sometimes, bokkoms are also smoked. Some people even call it "fish biltong" because it's a dried meat snack, just like biltong.
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What Does the Word "Bokkom" Mean?
The word bokkom comes from an old Dutch word, bokkem. This word is related to bokking, which means "buck" or "goat" in Dutch.
Why a goat? Well, bokkoms might remind you of a goat's horns because they can be hard and have a similar shape. Also, some people think bokkoms have a strong smell, like a goat's horn (goats have scent glands that can make them smell).
The word bokkom was first officially used in the Afrikaans language in South Africa in 1902.
A Short History of Bokkoms
Bokkoms have been around for a very long time in South Africa. As early as 1658, just a few years after Europeans first settled at the Cape of Good Hope, some people were allowed to fish in Saldanha Bay. This bay is on the West Coast of Southern Africa.
These early fishers had to send their fish to the Dutch East India Company's trading post. They sold the fish to other settlers and to ships passing by. A rule was that one-fifth of their catch had to be delivered in a salted and dried form. This was the beginning of bokkoms in South Africa!
How Bokkoms Are Made
Making bokkoms needs small mullet fish, coarse salt, and fresh water. The traditional way of making them on the West Coast starts after catching the small mullets.
First, a big tank, often made of bricks, is filled with a strong salty water mix (called a pickle). About 50 kilograms of coarse salt are used for this. The fish are then added to the tank.
Once there are enough fish, more dry coarse salt is spread on top. Layers of fish and salt are added until all the fish are covered. This is left for one day.
The next day, a wooden press with weights is placed on the fish. This press helps to flatten the fish's insides so they don't spoil. After three days in the tank, the fish are ready for the next step.
The fish are taken out and strung together in bunches. Each bunch has about 10 to 25 fish. A special needle is pushed through the fish's eyes to string them onto a rope. These bunches are then dipped in fresh water a few times. Finally, they are hung on scaffolds to dry.
Drying the Fish
The best weather for drying bokkoms is lots of wind and not too much harsh sunlight. At night, the fish are brought under a roof. This stops them from getting damp from the night air. The next day, they are hung outside again in the sun. The whole drying process usually takes about five days.
More recently, some people use special drying "ovens." These are closed rooms with an electric fan that blows warm air. This makes drying much easier because the fish don't need to be moved indoors every evening. It also means bokkoms can be made even during the wetter winter months.
The Bokkom Business
Bokkoms are a very special food from the Western Cape in South Africa, especially the West Coast. They are very popular there and can be found in hotels, bars, fish shops, and beach kiosks.
However, bokkoms haven't become as common in other parts of Southern Africa as biltong has. But you can still order them online, often in vacuum-packed bags.
There's a busy bokkom industry in Velddrif, which is known as the "bokkom capital" of the world. About 95% of South Africa's bokkoms are made in Velddrif. Many small factories are located along the Berg river. Each factory has its own small jetty (a pier) on the river.
In the past, many mullets were caught right in the river. Fishermen would tie their small boats ("bakkies") to the jetties to unload their catch. But because of too much fishing, catching mullet in the river is now not allowed. Fish must be caught in the open sea near Laaiplek.
Velddrif is perfect for the bokkom industry. It's close to where mullets are found in the sea. The weather is great for drying fish, with dry summers and not much rain. There's also a lot of sea salt available because the sea pushes over large salt pans there. The biggest salt factory in South Africa, Cerebos, is also in Velddrif. Plus, the Berg river provides fresh water. This is why the bokkom industry started and continues to thrive in Velddrif.
Tourists can visit "Bokkomlaan" (Bokkom avenue) along the Berg river in Velddrif. Here, you can see many bokkoms strung up in bunches on rows of reed scaffolds along the road.
How to Eat Bokkoms
Bokkoms are a unique and traditional food from the West Coast of South Africa. They are often enjoyed with white wine, or with bread, apricot jam, and black coffee. You can also use bokkoms in soups, spaghetti dishes, tapenades, or just eat them as a snack on their own.
Environmental Concerns
People are worried about the number of fish in the sea off the West Coast of South Africa. The Southern mullet, the fish used for bokkoms, is on the WWF Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) Orange list.
This means there are concerns about the species. It might be overfished, or the way it's caught might harm the environment. While it's still legal to sell these fish, if too many people demand them, it could make it harder to have a healthy supply in the future.
Bokkoms in Popular Sayings
The word bokkoms is used in some interesting sayings in the Afrikaans language:
- If someone is called "'n droë bokkom" (a dry bokkom), it means they are a very boring or dull person.
- If someone "hy kan nie bokkom braai nie" (he can't barbecue a bokkom), it means they are not very good at simple tasks or are incompetent.
- If someone is "pure bokkom en biltong, maar min vir die jakkalse" (pure bokkom and biltong, but not much for the jackal), it means they are very thin and skinny.
The name "bokkoms" has also been given to a type of plant in South Africa. These plants have sharp seedpods that look like bokkoms, and their strong smell reminds people of the fish.
Similar Foods Around the World
Bokkoms are similar to other dried fish like dried herring, bloaters, kippers, and buckling. Bloaters, kippers, and buckling are all lightly salted and smoked for a short time.
Even though the idea of drying fish probably came from Europe, bokkoms use a different type of fish (mullet) and are not usually smoked during their preparation.
