Ngapi

Raw ngapi

Ngapi (Burmese: ငပိ or ငါးပိ, pronounced [ŋəpi̯]; lit. 'compressed fish') 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 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, 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 (ငပိရည်), 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 (ရခိုင်ငပိ) - The ngapi of Rakhine State 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 (မုန့်တီ). 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.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Ngapi daung (ငပိထောင်း, pulverized ngapi) - 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 (ငပိရည်, runny ngapi) -an essential part of Karen 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 (ငပိသုပ်, ngapi salad) - ngapi is diluted with lime or lemon juice and is mixed with chopped onions and chili.
• Ngapi gyet (ငပိချက်, cooked ngapi) - ngapi is cooked with oil and depending on the seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables, such as tomato, mango, chili, mayanthee (Marian plum), tamarind, etc.
• Ngapi kyeik (ငပိကြိတ်, ground ngapi) - 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 (ငပိကောင်, whole ngapi fish) - 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 with rice

Homemade tamarind 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.^{[citation needed]}

However, due to the high salt content which goes into the preparation, it can contribute to hypertension.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Cuisine of Burma
• Shrimp paste
• Prahok, Cambodian fish paste
• Bagoong, Filipino fish paste