Budu ( Jawi: بودو; , , ) is an anchovy sauce and one of the best known fermented seafood products in

Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...

in Malaysia, the

Natuna Islands Natuna Regency is an islands regency located in the northernmost part of the Province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. It contains at least 154 islands, of which 127 of them are reported as uninhabited. This archipelago, with a land area of 1,978.4 ...

(where it is called or ), South Sumatra, Bangka Island and Western

Kalimantan Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...

in Indonesia (where it is called ''rusip''), and Southern Thailand. It is mentioned in ''A Grammar and Dictionary of the Malay language, With a Preliminary Dissertation'', Volume 2, By John Crawfurd, published in 1852.

History

It is traditionally made by mixing anchovies and salt in a ratio ranging from 2:1 to 6:1 and allowing the mix to ferment for 140 to 200 days. It is used as a flavouring and is normally eaten with fish, rice, and raw vegetables. It is similar to the in Philippines, in Indonesia, in Burma, in Vietnam, or in Japan, Colombo cure in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

, in China, and in Korea. The fish product is the result of

hydrolysis Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution reaction, substitution, elimination reaction, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water ...

of fish and microbial

protease A protease (also called a peptidase, proteinase, or proteolytic enzyme) is an enzyme that catalysis, catalyzes proteolysis, breaking down proteins into smaller polypeptides or single amino acids, and spurring the formation of new protein products ...

s. The flavor and aroma of budu are produced by the action of proteolytic microorganisms surviving during the

fermentation Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...

process.

Palm sugar Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar may be qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed simila ...

and

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

are usually added to promote a browning reaction, resulting in a dark brown hue. The ratio of fish to salt is key to the final desired product. Different concentrations of salt influences the microbial and enzymatic activity, resulting in different flavours. The microorganisms found during budu production are generally classified as

halophilic A halophile (from the Greek word for 'salt-loving') is an extremophile that thrives in high salt concentrations. In chemical terms, halophile refers to a Lewis acidic species that has some ability to extract halides from other chemical species. ...

. The microorganisms play important roles in protein degradation and flavour and aroma development. Budu is a traditional condiment among the ethnic Malays of

east East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...

, particularly in the state of

and

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

. Budu has been declared a Malaysian heritage food by the Malaysian Department of National Heritage. Even ethnic Chinese in Kelantan are involved in budu production. Anchovy and its products like budu are high in

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

and

uric acid Uric acid is a heterocyclic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen with the Chemical formula, formula C5H4N4O3. It forms ions and salts known as urates and acid urates, such as ammonium acid urate. Uric acid is a product of the meta ...

, thus not recommended for people with

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

. The uric acid content in anchovies, however, is lower than that in tuna. Budu made from anchovy sauce has shown potential as an anti-cancer agent. As a food sourced from fish it also has potential as brain food. A powdered form of budu was developed by a Politeknik Kota Bharu (PKB) student in 2011. This allows for easier storage and transport as it is lighter and less prone to bottle breakage.

References

External links

*
Kehebatan budu Kelantan

The Unique Cina Kampung, The Star online
{{Fish sauce Malaysian condiments Malay cuisine Fish sauces Umami enhancers Kelantan Dried fish Anchovy dishes

History

See also

References

External links