The Maldives is surrounded by a vast ocean rich in fish. For generations, fishing has provided island communities with one of their most important sources of food. Skipjack tuna has always held a special place in the Maldivian diet, but many other species are also caught and eaten, including yellowfin tuna, reef fish and other pelagic fish.
Maldivians prepare fish in many different ways. It may be boiled, grilled, fried, smoked or dried, while fresh fish is also used in curries, soups and other traditional dishes. Different parts of the fish are valued for different reasons, and not everything is limited to the flesh.
Among the favourite parts are fish roe and liver. For many people, these are special parts of the catch and are eagerly looked for when a fish is cleaned.
Fish roe from skipjack tuna is particularly popular. When a female skipjack is opened and roe is found inside, it is carefully removed and kept for cooking. Roe from other species, including reef fish, is also eaten in the Maldives.
One of the simplest and most familiar ways of preparing fish roe is to cook it in garudhiya, the traditional Maldivian fish broth. The roe is boiled together with the fish, allowing it to cook gently in the salty broth. Once cooked, it becomes firm while retaining its distinctive texture and rich flavour.
Fish liver is another part enjoyed by many Maldivians. Like roe, it can be cooked along with the fish and eaten as part of the meal. Other organs of the fish are also consumed in the Maldives, including the stomach. However, fish roe, locally known as bis, is one of the favourites.
Preferences vary from person to person—some look forward to the roe, others prefer the liver, while some enjoy both. These parts of the fish have long been part of Maldivian food traditions, especially in households where freshly caught fish is prepared with very little going to waste.
This way of eating fish also reflects an old island habit of making good use of the catch. For fishing communities surrounded by the ocean, a fish has never been valued only for its flesh. Different parts have their own tastes, textures and place at the table.
Even today, when a freshly caught tuna or reef fish is prepared in a Maldivian home, finding roe inside can be a welcome surprise. Cooked simply in garudhiya and eaten with the rest of the meal, it remains one of the small pleasures connected to the Maldives’ long relationship with fish and the sea.
