Maldive Fish

A widely used flavoring in Sri Lankan cooking, Maldive fish is small dried chunks of tuna that are crumbled or shredded and added to many dishes. It brings a smoky depth of flavor rather like that given by fish sauce or shrimp paste in Thai and other Southeast Asian cuisines. Maldive fish is sold in jars in Sri Lankan grocery stores. Bonito flakes (shaved dried tuna, used in Japanese cuisine) can be substituted, or the Maldive fish can be omitted altogether, with some loss of depth of flavor.