Salted snoëk(poisson salé) is one of the most tasty dishes of traditional Mauritian cuisine. Edwin Kwok mush have realised this when he decided to create Seskel Ltd in 1984. “Snoëk is a stable market. Young people are not very keen on snoëk if they have not been used to when they were children. On the other hand, older people enjoy the product. It is an intrinsic part of Mauritian culture,” the general manager explains.

Seskel imports the raw materials: the fish – its scientific name is Thyrstite Atun – from New Zealand and the salt from Australia. Quite astonishing to see that such products are imported from foreign countries when you live in Mauritius. But Edwin Kwok explains, “This fish is the only one with which snoëk can be made and it cannot be found here. It is a very fragile fish and has to be treated with much care. The Australian salt is a special one and does not damage the fish.” As the fishing season in New Zealand is only between October and March, Seskel imports some 400 tons during this period. When it arrives in Mauritius, the fish is frozen and can be preserved for quite a long time.

Seskel produces one ton of snoëk every day to ensure a constant supply on the local market. It also exports it to Reunion – where it is popular – and a small quantity to France and Australia. “Exports on such markets occur only once a year and they are mainly for Mauritian shops abroad. Snoëk is not really an exportable product. First, because it costs a lot as it has to be sent in refrigerated conditions, then because people have to be used to this product to enjoy it. Otherwise, they are quite sceptical. Snoëk definitely has a special taste,” Edwin admits.

<B>Drying process only with salt</B>

The first step towards making Snoëk is the thawing process: the men put the fish in large trays filled with water for a few hours. Then, the women, most of whom have worked in the factory for more than ten years, cut them in thin slices. They women need much dexterity to make sure not to crush the flesh.

Then starts the real salting process. There is a first brining operation where the fish, full of salt, is kept in large boxes for 24 to 48 hours depending on the temperature and the fish size. After this process, they are taken out of the boxes, salted again and kept on pallets for 21 to 28 days. This is called the curing operation. As soon as this step is done, the fish can be sold either in vacuum packs, in trays or loose (in markets).

“The drying process is done entirely with the salt. There is no sun or oven to dry the fish. Actually, salt replaces the water in the fish. This is the main difference between snoëk and the other types of salted fish produced in St-Brandon for instance. They are dried in the sun; as a result, they are drier than snoëk and taste differently.”

A recipe to try out salted snoëk? According to Edwin Kwok, the product can be used in different ways with vegetables, in fried rice or even on pizzas. “But the most traditional way of eating snoëk is definitely the ‘rougaille poisson salé snoëk!’”