It's a West Coast thing. The local small boat fishermen in particular go out to sea and catch mullet which they then bring back and soak in very salty brine and then hang it out to dry in the sunshine. It is so salty, and so fishy I don't believe the flies will even go near it! I have tried eating it, and it is okay when it is very fresh, but I can't say I actually enjoy it. But the older and more dry it gets, the stronger it gets and the less I like it. But then I am not born and bred on the West Coast.
@anniesue Thank you. Yes I think soaked in brine as a preservative - these fish once salted and dried last for ages in our hot climate without any freezing or even refrigeration. I think that is why they are a staple of poorer communities and migrant farm workers moving from farm to farm to harvest fruit, as they of course do not have the luxury of refrigeration.
