Maldives fish

Maldives fish (Dhivehi: ވަޅޯމަސް, romanized: valhoamas) is cured tuna traditionally produced in Maldives. It is a staple of the Maldivian cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine, and the cuisine of the Southern Indian states and territories of Lakshadweep, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and in the past it was one of the main exports from Maldives to Sri Lanka, where it is known as umbalakaḍa (උම්බලකඩ) in Sinhala and masikaruvadu (மாசி கருவடு ) in Tamil.^[1] It is also produced in small scale using traditional methods in Lakshadweep Islands in India.^[2] It is known as massmin in Lakshadweep.^[3]

The abundant sea harvest of the Indian Ocean around the atolls of the Maldives and Lakshadweep in India yields many pelagic fishes, like skipjack, yellowfin tuna, little tunny (known locally as laṭṭi) and frigate mackerel. All these fish have been traditionally processed on the Maldive Islands as a main source of food as well as income for Maldivians.^[4]