The region of Southeast Asia encompasses a group of countries that include Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, and the Philippines. Such a region is the home of diverse ethnic people and culture, including richness in terms of indigenous fermented foods. Among the fermented foods in Southeast Asia, only those made from soybeans and fish (or seafoods) have been the most reviewed and described in international scientific media.

 

Fermented food products in Southern Asia that are derived from starch (A) tapai made from cooked glutinous rice, (B) tapai made from cassava tuber, (C) fermented rice noodles known as khanom chin in Thailand, and (D) res yeast rice known as angkak in the Philippines.

Fermented alcoholic beverages and vinegar in Southeast Asia. (A) anaerobic fermentation of rice with amylolytic starter culture resulting in tapai and liquid containing alcohol, (B) extracted liquid alcohol from tapai commercialized as alcoholic beverages in the market, (C) fermented alcoholic beverages from Laos infused with animals (such as scorpions and cobras), (D) further aerobic fermentation of alcoholic beverages in wooden containers to make vinegar.

Fermented food products in Southeast Asia that are derived from vegetables and fruits. (A) fermented mustard greens widely consumed in many Southeast Asian countries, (B) fermented fern fronds known as budu pakis from Brunei, (C) fermented durian fruit paste known as tempoyak in Indonesia and Malaysia, and (D) coconut gel made from coconut water known as nata de coco from the Philippines.

Pickled vegetables and fruits in Southeast Asia. (A) acar from Indonesia and (B) jeruk from Malaysia. These foods are made by pickling, a preservation method that consists in immersing cut vegetables and fruits in an acidic solution containing salt, sugar, and vinegar. Such a method is to be differentiated with fermentation.

Fermented food products in Southeast Asia that are derived from legumes. (A) tempeh, a fermented soybean-based food from Indonesia, (B) tempeh made from black beans, (C) tempeh made from mungbeans, and (D) pon ye gyi, a fermented paste from Myanmar made from horse gram beans.

Fermented food products in Indonesia that are derived from buffalo milk. (A) dadih, a yogurt-like food product fermented in bamboo containers and (B) dangke cheese (keju dangke) fermented in coconut shells

Fermented food products in Southeast Asia that are derived from meat. (A) naem, a fermented pork sausage wrapped in leaves from Thailand, (B) sai krok Isaan, a fermented pork sausage in pig intestine from northeastern Thailand, (C) belutak, a fermented beef in cow intestine from Brunei, and (D) bekamal, a fermented beef from Banyuwangi, Indonesia often served with rice and cooked in bamboo containers

Other fermented food products in Southeast Asia. (A) miang, fermented tea leaves from northern Thailand, (B) salted duck eggs popular in Indonesia and the Philippines, (C) sriracha, a fermented chili paste from Thailand, (D) civet coffee or kopi luwak grains extracted from feces of Asian palm civet eating coffee cherries, (E) black oncom made from peanut press cake using Rhizopus oryzae, and (F) red oncom made from soybean press cake using Neurospora crassa

Source : Fermented foods of Southeast Asia other than soybean- or seafood-based ones

Reggie Surya 1* 

1Food Technology Department, Faculty of Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta 11480, Indonesia

Journal of Ethnic Foods;  https://doi.org/10.1186/s42779-024-00241-7