Strange foods

In Sri Lanka a frequently used ingredient is Maldive fish.  It is basically cured Tuna. It is made in the Maldive Islands.  An island quite close to the island of Sri Lanka.

This is a form of a dried fish. Processed by boiling, smoking and then sun drying.  This enables it to be kept unrefrigerated indefinitely.

It looks like petrified wood. It tastes like fish.

And it is usually used by flaking a some off, or pounding a piece in a mortar and pestle so that it looks like splinters.

You would think it is hard to eat, but once broken like this it actually melts in your mouth.

It is a popular addition to sambols and various vegetable dishes.