Fermented fish is a traditional preservation of fish. Before refrigeration, canning and other modern preservation techniques became available, fermenting was an important preservation method. Fish rapidly spoils, or goes rotten, unless some method is applied to stop the bacteria that produce the spoilage. Fermentation is a method which attacks the ability of microbials to spoil fish. It does this by making the fish muscle more acidic; bacteria usually cease multiplying when the pH drops below 4.5.
A modern approach, biopreservation, adds lactic acid bacteria to the fish to be fermented. This produces active antimicrobials such as lactic and acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and peptidebacteriocins. It can also produce the antimicrobial nisin, a particularly effective preservative.[1][2]
Fermented fish preparations can be notable for their putrid smell. These days there are many other techniques of preserving fish, but fish is still fermented because some people enjoy the taste.
Alaska has witnessed a steady increase of cases of botulism since 1985.[3] It has more cases of foodborne botulism than any other state in the United States of America. This is caused by the traditional Inuit/Yupik practice of allowing animal products such as whole fish, fish heads, walrus, sea lion, and whale flippers, beaver tails, seal oil, birds, etc., to ferment for an extended period of time before being consumed. The risk is exacerbated when a plastic container is used for this purpose instead of the old-fashioned, traditional method, a grass-lined hole, as the botulinum bacteria thrive in the anaerobic conditions created by the air-tight enclosure in plastic.[3]
Partially or completely fermented fish or shrimps.[4] Fish bagoong is prepared by mixing salt with fish,[5] and placing it inside large earthen fermentation jars.[6] There it is left to ferment for 30–90 days with occasional stirring to make sure the salt is spread evenly.[7] A food colouring called angkak is added to give the bagoong its characteristic red or pink colour. Angkak is made from rice inoculated with a species of red mold (Monascus purpureus).[5] Some manufacturers grind the fermented product finely and sell the resulting mixture as fish paste.[8] A byproduct of the fermentation process is a fish sauce called patis.[9]
Literally "pressurized shũṭki" or "pressurized dried fish". Puti Fish are used to prepare Chepa Shutki. They are sun-dried for 12 to 14 days, then kept in a jute sack for one month, after which it is washed and placed in a pressurized earthenware pot for 3 to 4 months.
Fish are gutted, washed and salted together with dried fruit pulp or tamarind. The fish are kept covered in brine with the help of weighted mats and are fermented for 2 to 4 months.
Fermented, salted and dried gray mullet, of the mugil family, a saltwater fish that lives in both the Mediterranean and the Red Seas.[14] The traditional process of preparing it is to dry the fish in the sun before preserving it in salt. The process of preparing fesikh is quite elaborate, passing from father to son in certain families. The occupation has a special name in Egypt, fasakhani. Fesikh is eaten during the Sham el-Nessim festival, which is a spring celebration from ancient times in Egypt.
In Sudan species used are Alestes spp. and Hydrocynus spp. Processing time is 10 to 20 days. The products is packed in wooden boxes and also in used vegetable oil tins. In the case of terkeen the fermented fish is warmed up and stirred at the end of the processing period, resulting in a paste that includes small fish bones and has a taste resembling both liver pâté and anchovy paste. Both products are important ingredients (condiments) in Sudanese as well as in Egyptian cooking.
Clear light or dark brown liquid produced from salted fermented anchovies (Stolephorus sp.) or other fish or fishery products such as squid, shrimp and shellfish. The fermentation period is usually half a year or more, up to one and a half year (the longer the better). Local names are: Cambodia – teok trei; China – yu lu, xing tang, yee su; Indonesia – kecap ikan; Japan – ishiri, ishiru, shotssuru, ikanago; Korea – aekjeot; Lao – nam pla; Malaysia – budu; Myanmar – nganpya yay; Philippines – patis; Thailand – nam pla; Vietnam nuoc mam.
A similar product produced in Italy is colatura di Alici. Attempts to make similar products in Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Senegal) failed because of lack of involvement of the private sector, but the potential still exists. Also in South America there is potential to make it, for instance in Peru from longnose anchovy Anchoa nasus.
Fresh funa (a freshwater fish) are scaled and gutted through their gills keeping the body (and always the roe) of the fish intact. The fish are then packed with salt and aged for a year before being repacked annually in rice for up to four years. The resulting fermented dish may be served sliced thin or used as an ingredient in other dishes. The more generic term Narezushi is any fermented fish.
Salt-cured fish popular as flavoring in local dishes in Senegal and West Africa. Gutted whole or split fish are packed between layers of coarse sea salt and fermented for one to three days. They are then sun-dried.
Consists of a Greenland- or basking shark cured and hung to dry for four to five months. Hákarl is often referred to as an acquired taste[15] and smells richly of ammonia with a strong fish and cheese taste. Traditionally prepared by gutting and beheading the shark and burying it in a shallow hole in gravelly sand. Stones are placed on top to press fluids from the shark. The shark ferments this way for 6–12 weeks, and is then cut into strips and hung to dry for several months. During the drying period a brown crust develops, which is removed prior to cutting the shark into small pieces and serving. The modern method is just to press the shark in a large drained plastic container. Chef Anthony Bourdain described hákarl as "the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing" he has ever eaten.[15] Chef Gordon Ramsay challenged journalist James May to sample hákarl on The F Word. Ramsay vomited after the experience.[16]
Made from fermented skate. Has a strong characteristic ammonia-like odour. Usually served uncooked and without further preparation, along with other Korean side dishes such as kimchi.
Salted fermented dishes made with seafood such as fish, shellfish, and other marine animals.[17][18][19] Depending on the ingredients, jeotgal can range from flabby, solid pieces to clear, broth-like liquid. Solid jeotgal are usually eaten as banchan (side dish). Liquid jeotgal, called aekjeot, is popularly used in kimchi seasoning, as well as in various soups and stews.[20]
Salted-dried and fermented fish, famous for its malodorousness similar to the pungent fermented Swedish herring surströmming. Though the smell of kusaya is strong, the taste is quite mellow. Often eaten with Japanese sake or shōchū. Kusaya originated in the Izu Islands, probably on Niijima, where, during the Edo period people used to earn a living through salt making. Villagers paid taxes to the government with the salt they made, and as taxes were high, salt for fish-curing was used frugally. The same salt was used many times for this purpose, resulting in a pungent dried fish, which was later called kusaya. The resulting, tea-colored, sticky, stinky brine was passed on from generation to generation as a family heirloom. Though kusaya is made on several of the Izu Islands today, it is said that kusaya from Niijima has the strongest odor.
Steaks of bonito are boned, soaked in brine, then salted and weighted for about a week. They are then ready to eat, or may be stored in olive oil. Sometimes large mackerel or small tuna are used instead of bonito.
Lanhouin is salted fermented dried fish produced in the coastal regions of the Gulf of Benin using croaker (Cassava fish, Pseudotholithus sp.) or West African Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus tritor). Lanhouin is widely used as a condiment.
Fish (traditionally milkfish or tilapia) buried in mud for a day or two until it begins to slightly ferment. It is cleaned and cooked as paksiw sa tuba, with nipa vinegar and spices, and sometimes coconut cream. It is a pre-colonial regional dish of Bulacan.[21][22][23]
Mahyaveh is produced in the southern part of Iran, especially in Larestan and Hormozgan, from sardines (Sardinella sp.) or anchovies (Stolephorus sp.), salt, spices and water. The fish – fresh or dried – are headed, washed, mixed with salt and warm water and packed into earthenware or glass jars. After a month the mixture is mashed into a slurry and filtered. The resulting brown liquid is then mixed with mustard (Brassica juncea) and other spices, such as cumin (Cuminum cyminum), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare), black pepper (Piper nigrum) and thyme (Thymus capitatus). After another 10 to 15 days the desirable taste and aroma are produced and the sauce is ready.
Matjes (maatjes) herring
Netherlands, Germany
Lightly salted and fermented fat young herring usually eaten with chopped onion. The name derives from the Dutch "maagd" (virgin) as the young herring have no developed gonads. See Gibbing.
Momone is produced in Ghana from various fish species and also from squid and octopus. The fish is gutted, washed, rubbed with salt and packed in layers in barrels, alternating with layers of salt. After fermentation for 7 days the fish are dried in the sun. Pieces of momone, together with ground red pepper, tomato, onion and palm oil are boiled to a sauce to accompany pounded starchy staple foods.
Ngari is a traditional fermented food of Manipur. It is prepared by fermenting smaller freshwater fishes with mustard oil and salt. The dried fish are then tightly packed them in a big clay urn which is made airtight. The urn is buried for 30–40 days. Ngari is roasted lightly prior to consumption, and then added in many Manipuri dishes, such as eromba.[24][25]
Fermented half/fully fried mild coarse rices made by pickling several varieties of almost all fresh water fish, mainly Anabas testudineus, Tinfoil barb, Snakehead, Catfish, Leptobarbus hoevenii sometimes in Borneo, they ferment Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Freshwater prawn farming. Slightly different recipe and process of making Pla ra, the fish is also cleaned, cut into pieces if the size is too big and preserved with salt for several days and then mix with half fried Ricebran plus palm sugar or brown sugar. The sugar is claimed as starter to the rice bran to become brewed as result the pekasam have nicer sweet sour smells and salty taste. Sometimes tamarind juice also added to make the more sour effect. This is then left(traditionally) in a clay crock covered with a cheesecloth lid, to ferment for at least a week and up to a year.[26]
Prahok is a crushed, salted and fermented fish paste (usually of mud fish) that is used in Cambodian cuisine as a seasoning or a condiment. It originated as a way of preserving fish during the longer months when fresh fish was not available in abundant supply. Because of its saltiness and strong flavor, it was used as an addition to many meals in Cambodian cuisine, such as soups. Prahok has a strong and distinct smell, earning the nickname Cambodian Cheese. Prahok is usually eaten with rice in the countryside or poorer regions.[citation needed]
Fermented fish sauce made by pickling several varieties of fish, mainly snakehead murrel. The fish is cleaned, cut into pieces and mixed with salt and rice bran. This is then left in a big jar covered with a wooden lid, to ferment for three months to a year.[27] Recently a dried powdered version of pla ra has been successfully marketed.[28]
Made from trout or sometimes char, salted and fermented for two to three months, or even up to a year, then eaten without cooking. The first record of the term rakfisk dates back to 1348, but the history of the food is probably even older.[29] As a dish, rakfisk is related to the Swedish surströmming and possibly shares a common origin. Traditionally eaten around Christmas.
Tepas, also called stinkheads, are fermented whitefish heads. A customary way of preparing them is to place fish heads and guts in a wooden barrel, cover it with burlap, and bury it in the ground for about a week. For a short while in modern times, plastic bags and buckets replaced the barrel. However this increased the risk of botulism, and the YupikEskimos have reverted to fermenting fishheads directly in the ground.[32][33]
Fish (usually snakehead or catfish) is dried beforehand for a few days before being covered with tapay (cooked rice fermented overnight in banana leaves), with ginger, chilis, and other spices. It is allowed to ferment further for another week. The results are shredded and deep-fried in oil before serving (usually on white rice). It originates from the cuisine of the Maguindanao people.[34][35]
↑ Reyes, Cid; Cordero- Fernando, Gilda (1991). Kusina: What's Cooking in the Philippines, Volume 1. Quezon City: Larawan Books. p.170.
↑ Banaay, Charina Gracia B.; Balolong, Marilen P.; Elegado, Francisco B. (2013). "Lactic Acid Bacteria in Philippine Traditional Fermented Foods". In Kongo, Marcelino (ed.). Lactic Acid Bacteria: R&D for Food, Health and Livestock Purposes. InTech. pp.572–573. ISBN9789535109556.
↑ Fernandez, Doreen; Alegre, Edilberto N. (1989). LASA: A Guide to 100 Restaurants. Urban Food Foundation. pp.29–39.
↑ Jeyaram K, Singh TA, Romi W, Devi AR, Singh WM, Dayanidhi H, Singh WM, Tamag JP (2009). "Traditional fermented foods of Manipur". Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 8 (1): 115–121. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013.
Kimchi, is a traditional Korean banchan consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly using napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal, etc. Kimchi is also used in a variety of soups and stews. Kimchi is a staple food in Korean cuisine and is eaten as a side dish with almost every Korean meal.
Sourdough or sourdough bread is a bread made by the fermentation of dough using wild lactobacillaceae and yeast. Lactic acid from fermentation imparts a sour taste and improves keeping qualities.
Lactic acid fermentation is a metabolic process by which glucose or other six-carbon sugars are converted into cellular energy and the metabolite lactate, which is lactic acid in solution. It is an anaerobic fermentation reaction that occurs in some bacteria and animal cells, such as muscle cells.
Bagoóng is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish (bagoóng) or krill or shrimp paste (alamáng) with salt. The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as patís.
Burong mangga is a Filipino side dish made by mixing sugar, salt, and water to mangoes that have previously been salted. The mixture of water and sugar should be boiled and cooled first, before pouring it over the salted mangoes. Some variants add chilis to the cooled sugar water mixture. Original "basic" burong mangga is made using a brine solution and pouring it over halved unripe or partially ripe mangoes. Mango cultivars commonly used for burong mangga include 'Carabao' mangoes and 'Pico' mangoes.
Fresh fish rapidly deteriorates unless some way can be found to preserve it. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food. Water is usually removed by evaporation but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the water is removed by sublimation. Bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substances through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food production, it may more broadly refer to any process in which the activity of microorganisms brings about a desirable change to a foodstuff or beverage. The science of fermentation is known as zymology.
In food processing, fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms—yeasts or bacteria—under anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions. Fermentation usually implies that the action of microorganisms is desired. The science of fermentation is known as zymology or zymurgy.
Cured fish is fish which has been cured by subjecting it to fermentation, pickling, smoking, or some combination of these before it is eaten. These food preservation processes can include adding salt, nitrates, nitrite or sugar, can involve smoking and flavoring the fish, and may include cooking it. The earliest form of curing fish was dehydration. Other methods, such as smoking fish or salt-curing also go back for thousands of years. The term "cure" is derived from the Latin curare, meaning to take care of. It was first recorded in reference to fish in 1743.
Fish preservation is the method of increasing the shelf life of fish and other fish products by applying the principles of different branches of science in order to keep the fish, after it has landed, in a condition wholesome and fit for human consumption. Ancient methods of preserving fish included drying, salting, pickling and smoking. All of these techniques are still used today but the more modern techniques of freezing and canning have taken on a large importance.
Biopreservation is the use of natural or controlled microbiota or antimicrobials as a way of preserving food and extending its shelf life. The biopreservation of food, especially utilizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are inhibitory to food spoilage microbes, has been practiced since early ages, at first unconsciously but eventually with an increasingly robust scientific foundation. Beneficial bacteria or the fermentation products produced by these bacteria are used in biopreservation to control spoilage and render pathogens inactive in food. There are a various modes of action through which microorganisms can interfere with the growth of others such as organic acid production, resulting in a reduction of pH and the antimicrobial activity of the un-dissociated acid molecules, a wide variety of small inhibitory molecules including hydrogen peroxide, etc. It is a benign ecological approach which is gaining increasing attention.
Hurdle technology is a method of ensuring that pathogens in food products can be eliminated or controlled. This means the food products will be safe for consumption, and their shelf life will be extended. Hurdle technology usually works by combining more than one approach. These approaches can be thought of as "hurdles" the pathogen has to overcome if it is to remain active in the food. The right combination of hurdles can ensure all pathogens are eliminated or rendered harmless in the final product.
Anchovies are small, common saltwater forage fish in the family Engraulidae that are used as human food and fish bait. There are 144 species in 17 genera found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as oily fish. They are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. They range from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) in adult length, and the body shape is variable, with more slender fish in northern populations.
Pao cai, also romanized as Pao tsai, is a generic term for pickled, specifically fermented in brine, vegetables in Chinese.
Burong isda is a Filipino dish consisting of cooked rice and raw filleted fish fermented with salt and angkak for around a week. The dish is common in central Luzon, most notably in the province of Pampanga. Angkak may also be omitted, especially in western central Luzon, resulting in a white-colored version. Burong isda variants are usually named after the fish they were made with; e.g. burong bangus for burong isda made with bangus (milkfish). Shrimp versions of the dish are known as burong hipon or balao-balao. Burong isda is very similar to other fermented fish and rice dishes of Asia, including narezushi of Japanese cuisine and pla ra of Thai cuisine. All of these dishes rely on lactic acid fermentation to preserve the food.
Balao-balao, also known as burong hipon, is a Filipino condiment of cooked rice and whole raw shrimp fermented with salt and angkak. Once stir-fried, it can be eaten as is with rice or used as a dipping sauce for grilled or fried dishes. Depending on the salt content, it is fermented for several days to weeks. The lactobacilli involved in the fermentation process of the rice produces lactic acid which preserves and softens the shrimp.
Pekasam, Pakasam or Bekasam is a Malay term for fermented food, more precisely fermented fish product. In Malay and Banjar cookery, pekasam usually refers to freshwater fish fermented with salt, palm sugar, toasted rice grains and pieces of asam gelugur.
Dayok is a Philippine condiment originating from the islands of Visayas and Mindanao in the Philippines. It is made from fish entrails, excluding the heart and the bile sac. It is fermented with salt, and sometimes rice wine (pangasi) and various herbs. It has a sharp umami and salty flavor very similar to patis and bagoong. They are sold in sealed glass bottles.
Lumlom is a pre-colonial Filipino fermented fish dish originating from the province of Bulacan in the Philippines. It is uniquely prepared by burying the fish in mud for a day or two, allowing it to ferment slightly. After fermentation, it is cleaned and cooked as paksiw sa tuba, with spices, nipa vinegar, and sometimes coconut cream. It is popularly eaten as pulutan.
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