salted fish

Indonesian food & beverages

Fish sauce is a food made from fish meat is preserved by adding lots of salt. With this method of preservation of meat fish that normally decompose in a short time can be stored at room temperature for a period of many months, although they usually have to be closed tightly.



The process of making
Various types of unusual fish marinated, fish both land and sea fish. These fish were collected in a container and then sprinkled with or immersed in a concentrated salt solution. Large fish are usually split or cut into pieces first to make salt easily soak into the meat.

Because of differences in density and osmotic pressure, salt crystals will draw fluid out of cells in the fish flesh from his body. Meanwhile, the particles of salt penetrate the flesh of fish. This process is continued until equilibrium is reached the salt concentration outside and inside the flesh.

High salt concentrations and the shrinking of the cell fluid will stop the process of autolysis and inhibit the growth of bacteria in fish flesh.

After that, the fish is dried, boiled or fermented to increase durability.

Factors that influence
ecepatan penetration of salt into the fish's body is affected by several things. Among them:

The concentration of salt
The higher the concentration of salt used, the faster the process of entry of salt into the meat of fish. It would be better if the salt crystals are used to marinate.

Type of salt
Pure salt (NaCl 95%) are more easily absorbed and produce salted fish with better quality. Salt of the people containing other elements (Mg, Ca, sulfur compounds), dirt, bacteria and others that can inhibit the penetration of salt and spoil the taste of fish.

The thickness of the fish meat
The thicker the meat, salting process will take longer and more salt. So the big fish are usually split apart, dikeping or thinly sliced ​​marinated before.

Levels of fat in meat
High fat content (above 2%) will slow the penetration of salt into the meat of fish.

Freshness of fish meat
Less fresh fish have a softer flesh and body fluids are easy to get out, so that the salting process can be faster. But also the salt that goes so much that the fish can become too salty and rigid.

The temperature of the fish meat
The higher the temperature of the meat of fish, the faster the salt into the fish's body.

Salted fish and harmful preservatives
Salted fish processing has traditionally almost always requires the help of sunlight to speed up drying, and prevents the fish does not become rotten.

The problem is not the sun always shines with enough each day, especially in the rainy season where rain clouds often cover the sky. As a result, many fish are less well preserved, declining quality, and even become rotten.

To reduce losses, while the processor take a shortcut using chemicals such as pesticides and formaldehyde. Materials that are hazardous to health is used as an additional preservative to prevent spoilage. Formalin also prevent the reduction of the excessive weight of the fish's body fluids due to volatility of marinated fish.

Alternative secure additional preservative is khitosan. However, the material extracted from the shells of shrimp and crabs are not popular and not yet mass-produced in Indonesia.

Indonesian food & beverages