Chef Makoa
Fāfaru (Tahitian Fish in Fermented Seawater)
Tahiti's fāfaru takes raw ʻahi into miti fāfaru, a pungent fermented seawater brine, then brings it back to the table with mitihue, breadfruit, and the lesson that good funk is food kept alive.
Culinary Explorer
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Masi (Sāmoan Fermented Breadfruit)
Created by
Sāmoa's old keeping food: mature ʻulu packed down, soured slow, then warmed and mashed into a sharp, comforting starch for the whole aiga.
Side Dishes
Polynesian, Samoan
Make Ahead
Budget Friendly
Comfort Food
1 hr
Active Time
1 hr 30 min cook•P7DT2H30M total
Yield8 servings
The canoe crops were never just food to get through the day. ʻUlu, breadfruit, rode with the ancestors because it could feed a people, shade a yard, and stand there like a quiet promise when the sea was rough and the store was empty. In Sāmoa, this keeping form is masi, fermented breadfruit packed down in leaf-lined pits until it turns sour and deep, food held for the aiga, the extended family, without one bit of cold box or plastic bag.
This is my Sāmoan cousins' food, not mine from home, so I cook it open-handed. Back in Hawaiʻi we know poi when it turns sour and alive. In the atolls they keep mā, fermented breadfruit for coral islands where soil is thin and scarcity teaches hard. In the Marquesas, popoi carries that same breadfruit memory. One ocean, one canoe, one root, but each island keeps its own hand.
Traditional masi belongs in a pit lined with leaves, weighted and sealed, opened when the family needs it. Most of us are not digging a proper Sāmoan pit behind the apartment, yeah? So this version brings the old idea into a clean crock or food-safe bucket, with banana leaf for the smell and memory, and salt to help the sour come steady. When it smells pleasantly sharp, like sour poi and green fruit, not rotten, you warm it, mash it, and eat it with coconut cream, fish, palusami, sapasui, or corned beef and rice if that's the table today. Eat what you have. We no throw out good food.
Fermented breadfruit pits are one of the great preservation technologies of Polynesia, especially important where breadfruit crops came heavy all at once and where hurricanes, drought, or atoll scarcity made stored starch a matter of survival. In Sāmoa, masi keeps ʻulu beyond the season; related forms include mā in parts of the atoll world and Marquesan popoi, each one shaped by its own island ecology. This is deep food, not mission food: a canoe-crop answer to hunger long before imported rice, flour, and tinned meat changed the daily table.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
mature firm breadfruit (ʻulu)
Quantity
4 pounds
peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
fine sea salt
Quantity
2 tablespoons
banana leaves
Quantity
as needed
rinsed and softened for lining
filtered water
Quantity
as needed
to cover
fresh coconut cream (optional)
Quantity
1 cup
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| mature firm breadfruit (ʻulu)peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks | 4 pounds |
| fine sea salt | 2 tablespoons |
| banana leavesrinsed and softened for lining | as needed |
| filtered waterto cover | as needed |
| fresh coconut cream (optional)for serving | 1 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •1-gallon glass jar, ceramic crock, or food-safe fermentation bucket
- •Clean fermentation weight or small plate that fits inside the vessel
- •Heavy 4-quart pot and sturdy masher
Instructions
- 1
Ready the ʻulu
Choose mature breadfruit that is firm, heavy, and still clean-smelling, not spoiled. Peel it, cut away the core, and slice the flesh into large chunks. Rinse off sticky latex if needed. The pieces should look pale cream and starchy, with no black soft spots.
- 2
Salt and line
Toss the ʻulu with the sea salt. Line a clean 1-gallon glass jar, ceramic crock, or food-safe bucket with softened banana leaves, letting the leaves come up the sides. The old pit uses leaf and weight and earth. In the home kitchen, cleanliness is part of the respect.
- 3
Pack it down
Pack the salted ʻulu tightly into the lined vessel, pressing hard so there are as few air pockets as possible. Fold banana leaf over the top, then add enough filtered water to cover the fruit by about 1 inch. Set a clean weight over it so every piece stays submerged.
- 4
Let it sour
Cover loosely and ferment at cool room temperature, about 68F to 75F, for 5 to 10 days. Check daily that the ʻulu stays under the brine. It should smell sour, fruity, and a little funky in a good way, like sharp poi or fermented fruit. If you see fuzzy mold, pink slime, or smell rot, throw that batch out. No shame. Safety first.
- 5
Drain and cook
When the masi is pleasantly sour, drain it and place it in a pot with fresh water to cover. Simmer 45 to 60 minutes, until the breadfruit gives easily under a spoon and the sourness has mellowed enough to sit comfortably on the tongue.
- 6
Mash and serve
Drain well, then mash while warm until thick and heavy, leaving some texture if you like. Spoon into a wooden bowl or onto banana leaf and gloss the top with fresh coconut cream if using. Serve beside grilled fish, oka iʻa, palusami, sapasui, or whatever the family has on the table. Masi is a keeping food. It was made to feed people, not impress them.
Chef Tips
- •The funk is flavor, not failure. Good masi smells sour and alive, not rotten. Trust your nose, and keep everything submerged.
- •Traditional Sāmoan masi is pit food, and the deep way belongs to Sāmoan elders and families who still carry it. This crock method is a respectful kitchen version, not a replacement for that knowledge.
- •Use mature firm ʻulu, not fully ripe soft breadfruit. Too ripe turns sweet and mushy before the sour settles right.
- •Fresh coconut cream makes the finished mash rich and round. A good canned coconut cream is fine on a weeknight, but squeeze fresh when you can.
Advance Preparation
- •Start the fermentation 5 to 10 days before you plan to serve, tasting and smelling from day 5 onward.
- •Cooked mashed masi keeps 4 days in the refrigerator. Rewarm gently with a splash of water or coconut cream.
- •For longer storage, keep the fermented chunks submerged in clean brine in the refrigerator after the sourness is where you like it, then cook portions as needed within 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 235g)
Calories
310 calories
Total Fat
7 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
1 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
1750 mg
Total Carbohydrates
63 g
Dietary Fiber
11 g
Sugars
23 g
Protein
3 g
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