Rihaakuru facts for kids

Rihaakuru on a plate

Rihaakuru is a thick, dark brown sauce made from fish. It's a very old and traditional food in the Maldives and on Minicoy island. People there eat it almost every day! Rihaakuru is made from tuna fish.

A Look Back: Rihaakuru's History

Long ago, travelers from the Maldives brought Rihaakuru and another food called Bondi to Sri Lanka (which was then called Ceylon). People in Sri Lanka thought these foods were special treats. They called Rihaakuru "Diya Hakuru," which means 'liquid jaggery' in the Sinhala language. These names were popular for many years, but they are not used much anymore.

How Rihaakuru is Made

Making Rihaakuru is simple, but it takes a long time! Here's how it's done:

• First, tuna fish is cooked in water with salt for many hours.
• While it cooks, any foam or "scum" that forms on top is carefully removed.
• Once the tuna pieces are fully cooked, they are taken out of the water. The bones, heads, and other parts are also removed. These cooked tuna pieces can then be made into Maldive fish.
• What's left behind is a "fish soup" called Garudiya. Small balls of tuna scraps, called Bondi, are sometimes left in this soup.
• This Garudiya soup is then kept boiling on a low heat. It boils for a long time until most of the water disappears.
• As the water evaporates, the soup becomes very thick and concentrated. This thick, paste-like fish soup is what we call Rihaakuru!

How People Eat Rihaakuru

In the Maldives, people enjoy Rihaakuru in many ways:

• They often eat it plain with rice, taro, roti (a type of flatbread), or breadfruit.
• Sometimes, it's cooked with fried onions, curry leaves, and chilies. This makes a spicy and tasty version called theluli rihaakuru.
• Another popular dish is rihaakuru diya, where Rihaakuru is mixed with coconut milk.

Rihaakuru is also used in other countries, like China. There, people sometimes use it like a spread, similar to how some people use Vegemite or Marmite on sandwiches. It can also be found in Chinese dishes like Cha Kuay Teow Mee or with Fried Vegetables such as Kai Lan and Bok choy.

Rihaakuru's Goodness

Rihaakuru is a healthy food! It has a lot of protein, which helps your body grow strong. It's also rich in good fats called omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for your brain and heart.