Yete

Yete (also known as 'yeet' and 'yet') is made from dried, fermented marine molluscs (Cymbium olla). It is a key ingredient in the Senegalese national dish Thieboudienne; a rich fish, vegetable and rice dish. It has a distinctive pungent smell and rich taste.
To make Yete, and ferment the sea snails, the shells are first broken and the flesh buried in sand for several days. It is then washed in four to five different waters, cut into slices, then sun-dried. Yete is rich in protein, vitamin B12, zinc, and Omega 3. It is used traditionally to boost the immune system and has ant-inflammatory properties. Yete is a condiment, to use it:

• Rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove impurities.
• Blanch it in boiling water for 5 minutes to firm it.
• Peel and chop it to use in your chosen recipe.

We bought our Yete from Ma Soda Senegalese food store, 17 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8PR.