Ngapi - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Ngapi is a generic term for pungent pastes made of either fish or shrimp in Myanmar. It is usually made from the fermentation of salted ground fish or shrimp, which is then sun dried. Ngapi is a main ingredient of Lower Burmese

Lower Burma

Lower Burma is a geographic region of Burma and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta , as well as coastal regions of the country ....

cooking, used as a condiment and additive in most dishes. Raw ngapi is not intended for direct consumption.

Uses

Ngapi is a main ingredient of Lower Burmese cuisine from maritime coastal provinces in the west and the south. (It is not a main ingredient in traditional Upper Burmese (Burman

Bamar

The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...

, Shan, etc.) cuisines, although improved transportation in the modern era has helped increase ngapi's popularity in Upper Myanmar.) It is used in a wide array of dishes and is eaten in myriad ways: it can be eaten on its own, such as baked or roasted ngapi, as a watery preparation called ngapi yay , as a salad, as a pounded mixture with chili, or fried like Balachaung. It is also used as a soup base and in main dishes.

Variants

Ngapi is a generic term which applies only to the content. Like cheese, it can be distinguished based on main ingredient and regional origin.

Main ingredient

Ngapi can be distinguished from the type of fish used to make the it. Ngapi can come from whole fish (such as ngapi kaung), from small fish (mhyin ngapi) or from prawns.

Regional variations

Rakhine Ngapi - The ngapi of Rakhine State
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...

contains very little salt or none at all. It mainly uses marine fish, in light of the Arakanese being a sea-faring people. Rakhine ngapi is used as a soup base for the Rakhine signature "national" dish, Mont Di
Mont Di
Mont Di is a collective term for dishes made with thin rice noodles. Mont Di vermicelli are used fresh, as it ferments quickly in Myanmar's tropical climate. There are a number of Mont Di dishes in Burmese cuisine but Rakhine Mont di of the Arakanese of western Myanmar is the most popular...

. Like other ngapi, it is widely used in cooking.

Ayeyarwady and Taninthargyi Ngapi - In Ayeyarwady and Tanintharyi divisions, the majority of ngapi is produced from freshwater fish. The ngapi usually contain a lot of added salt. This form of ngapi is more widely available in Myanmar, and the Burmese population is more accustomed to the saltier ngapi than the Rakhine version. The ngapi from Myeik is very well known and is saltier than those from the region.

Ngapi dishes

The versatility of ngapi is reflected in the colourful mosaic the people of Myanmar have developed to consume ngapi.

Ngapi daung - the ngapi is baked or roasted in a frying pan without oil. Depending on the region and family preference, the ngapi is put in a stone mortar and is pounded with garlic and red or green chili.
Ngapi yay -an essential part of Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...

cuisine. The ngapi (either fish or shrimp, but mostly whole fish ngapi is used) is boiled with onions, tomato, garlic, pepper and other spices. The result is a greenish-grey broth-like sauce, which makes its way to every Burmese dining table. Fresh, raw or blanched vegetables and fruits (such as mint, cabbage, tomatoes, green mangoes, green apples, olives, chilli, onions and garlic) are dipped into the ngapi yay and eaten. Sometimes, in less affluent families, ngapi yay forms the main dish, and also the main source of protein.
Ngapi thoke - ngapi is diluted with lime or lemon juice and is mixed with chopped onions and chili.
Ngapi gyet - ngapi is cooked with oil and depending on the seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables, such as tomato, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...

, chili
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...

, mayanthee
Bouea macrophylla
Bouea macrophylla is a tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia. The tree belongs to the family Anacardiaceae, and is related to the mango.-Description:The evergreen tree grows to height of 25 meters...

(Marian plum), tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...

, etc.
Ngapi kyeik - a Rakhine condiment where baked rakhine ngapi is mixed with large green chili and garlic. It is also called Ngayote kyeik (ground chili)
Ngapi gaung - a type of relatively dry fermented salted fish usually gutted with the head on. Usually deep fried and served with fried crushed dried red chillies and crush garlic.

Ngapi kyaw

Ngapi Kyaw (also ngapi gyaw, fried mgapi) is an umbrella term for ngapi that is fried with a wide variety of ingredients, mainly shredded shrimp flakes, onions, garlic and chili. The texture can range from jam-like to flossy (balachaung), and the flavour varies depending on an individual household, restaurant or monastery. Ngapi gyaw is almost always present in ahlus (alms giving ceremonies) in Burmese monasteries.

Some 'ngapi kyaw' may not contain ngapi at all.

Pè ngapi

In the highland Shan States, ngapi is made instead from fermented soy beans also called pè bohk. Although lacking fish or prawn products, it is called ngapi. Pè ngapi is used as both a flavoring and a condiment in Shan and Burmese cuisine. It may also be used to make a curry.

Nutrition

As ngapi is made from fish, shrimp or beans, it is a source of protein. The ngapi made from fish and prawns also provide a source of iodine, especially for consumers inland.

However, due to the high salt content which goes into the preparation, it can contribute to hypertension

Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...