Bwiro
Fermented breadfruit paste that lasts for months
Think of it as: Like sourdough starter made from breadfruit
Breadfruit, but make it funky.
What does it taste like?
Sour and pungent, almost cheesy. Baking it mellows the funk.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureThick and pasty
What is it?
Bwiro is mashed breadfruit fermented and wrapped in leaves so it keeps for a long time. Marshall Islanders made it for lean seasons and long canoe voyages.
How locals eat it
Mixed with coconut, wrapped in leaves and baked. It once went along on ocean voyages.
Watch it
More videos on YouTubeWhere is it from?
🇲🇭Marshall Islands
CapitalMajuro
Populationabout 38,000estimate (unverified)
IndustriesFishing licenses, Copra (coconut), US aid
HelloIakwe (Marshallese)
CurrencyUS dollar
And JapanIn 1954, a US H-bomb test at Bikini Atoll exposed the Japanese tuna boat Daigo Fukuryu Maru to fallout.
Fun factThe bikini swimsuit is named after the country's Bikini Atoll.
The flag🇲🇭 Blue for the Pacific, orange and white stripes for the two island chains, and a 24-pointed star for 24 districts.
From Tokyoabout 4,530 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Majuro
Getting thereAbout 10+ hours (via Guam)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeDecember to April, the drier season. Also tryBreadfruit dishesCoconut crab
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeDecember to April, the drier season. Also tryBreadfruit dishesCoconut crab
🇲🇭 Sounds & life in Marshall Islands
IakweHello（Iakwe (Marshallese)）
Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
Right now…
AnthemForever Marshall Islands
World HeritageBikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site and more
World HeritageBikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site and more
Ingredients
- Breadfruit, lots
- Breadfruit or banana leaves
- Seawater
How to make it (one way)
- Remove the skin and core from ripe breadfruit
- Rinse in seawater and pack into a leaf-lined pit or container
- Weigh it down and let it ferment for weeks
- Once it's a sour paste, wrap in leaves to store
- To eat, mix with coconut and bake or steam
⚠️ Fermentation is hard to control. Don't try this at home.