''Naem'' ( th, แหนม, , also referred to as ''nham'', ''naem moo'', ''som moo'', ''naem maw'', ''chin som'') is a

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

and Thai. It is a

fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

food that has a sour flavor. It has a short shelf life, and is often eaten in raw form after the fermentation process has occurred. It is a popular Southeast Asian food, and different regions of Southeast Asia have various preferred flavors, including variations of sour and spicy. ''Naem'' is used as an ingredient in various dishes and is also served as a

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.kilocalories per and contains a significant amount of protein, a moderate amount of fat, and minor carbohydrate content.

Parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson h ...

s and enteropathogenic

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...

have been found in samples of ''naem''.

Lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as nat ...

formed during its fermentation inhibits the growth of ''

Salmonella ''Salmonella'' is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of ''Salmonella'' are '' Salmonella enterica'' and '' Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' is the type species and is ...

''. ''Lactobacillus curvatus'' use in the product has been proven to prevent the growth of

pathogenic bacteria Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The number of t ...

in ''naem''. It is sometimes

irradiated Irradiation is the process by which an object is exposed to radiation. The exposure can originate from various sources, including natural sources. Most frequently the term refers to ionizing radiation, and to a level of radiation that will serve ...

. The bacterial content in Thai sour pork products is regulated.

Overview

''Naem'' is a red-colored, semi-dry lactic-

in Southeast Asian cuisine prepared using minced raw pork and pork skin, significant amounts of cooked

sticky rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...

, chili peppers, garlic, sugar, salt and

potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and ...

. Minced beef is sometimes used in its preparation. After the mix is prepared, it is encased in

banana leaves The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

, synthetic sausage casings or tubular plastic bags and left to ferment for three to five days. ''Naem'' has a sour quality to it due to the fermentation, in which

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as nat ...

bacteria and yeasts grow within the sausage. The lactic acid

and yeasts expand by feeding upon the rice and sugar, and the use of salt prevents the meat from rotting. Naem typically has a short shelf life, which can be extended through refrigeration. The sausage can be time-consuming and labor-intensive to prepare. It is typically stored at room temperature, which gives it a shelf life of around one week. It is produced all over

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

in slight variations. ''Naem'' is often consumed raw, (after fermentation has occurred), and is often accompanied with

shallot The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the ...

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...

bird's eye chili Bird's eye chili or Thai chili (Thai: ''prik ki nu'', พริกขี้หนู, literally "mouse dung chili" owing to its shape) is a chili pepper, a variety from the species ''Capsicum annuum'' native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southea ...

peppers and

spring onion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...

s. It is used as an ingredient in various dishes such as ''naem'' fried with eggs, '' Naem khao'' and ''Naem phat wun sen sai khai'', and is also consumed as a

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

. The cooking of ''naem'' significantly changes its flavor.

Prominence

''Naem'' has been described in Thailand as "one of the popular meat products of the country prepared from ground pork" and as "one of the most popular traditional Thai

fermented meat Fermented meat is an important preservation process which has evolved for meat but is rarely used alone. A particularly common form of fermented meat product is the sausage, with notable examples including chorizo, salami, sucuk, pepperoni, nem ch ...

products".

Varieties

Different

regions of Thailand Thailand is variably divided into different sets of regions, the most notable of which are the six-region grouping used in geographic studies, and the four-region grouping consistent with the Monthon administrative regional grouping system forme ...

have different preferred flavors: northern and northeastern pork is a little bit sour, central is sour, and southern is spicy. ''Naem mo'' in northern Thailand may be fermented in a clay pot.

Use in dishes

Dishes prepared with ''naem'' include ''naem'' fried with eggs, and ''naem'' fried rice. ''Naem phat wun sen sai khai'' is a dish prepared with ''naem'', glass noodles and eggs, among other ingredients such as

s and red pepper. ''

Nam Khao Naem khao ( lo, ແໜມເຂົ້າ), also known as yam naem ( th, ยำแหนม) is a very popular Lao appetizer salad originating from Tha Deua, a small port village, in Vientiane, Laos. Nam khao can be found at street stalls, restau ...

'' is a salad dish in

Lao cuisine Lao cuisine or Laotian cuisine ( lo, ອາຫານລາວ) is the national cuisine of Laos. The staple food of the Lao is sticky rice ( lo, ເຂົ້າໜຽວ, khao niao). Laos has the highest sticky rice consumption per-capita in ...

prepared using Lao fermented pork sausage, rice, coconut, peanuts, mint,

cilantro Coriander (;

, fish sauce, and lemon juice. ''Naem'' and rice are formed into balls, deep-fried, and then served broken atop the various ingredients. Serenade, a restaurant in Bangkok, makes a dish called the "McNaem", which consists of a duck egg wrapped in ''naem'' that is fried and then served with

risotto Risotto (, , from meaning "rice") is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Pa ...

, slaw,

shiitake The shiitake (alternate form shitake) (; ''Lentinula edodes'') is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is now cultivated and consumed around the globe. It is considered a Medicinal fungi, medicinal mushroom in some forms of tradition ...

mushrooms,

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...

s, and cooked sea scallops atop crushed garlic. There are many applications of sour pork with different flavors such as ''phat phet naem'' ( th, ผัดเผ็ดแหนม), ''

tom kha ''Tom kha kai'', ''tom kha gai'', or Thai coconut soup ( th, ต้มข่าไก่, ; ) is a spicy and sour hot soup with coconut milk in Thai cuisine. Ingredients In Thailand, most ''tom kha kai'' recipes typically include coconut milk ...

naem'' ( th, ต้มข่าแหนม), ''

ho mok Steamed curry ( km, អាម៉ុក, ; th, ห่อหมก , , lo, ຫມົກ, ) is a Southeast Asian type of curry steam-cooked in banana leaves. In Laos it is also roasted on embers. The base of the curry is made with a curry pas ...

naem'' ( th, ห่อหมกแหนม), and ''naem priao wan'' ( th, แหนมเปรี้ยวหวาน). File:Chin som mok.JPG, alt=Chin som mok is a speciality of northern Thailand and is the northern Thai version of naem sausage, ''Chin som mok'' – a speciality of northern Thailand, it is the northern Thai version of ''naem'' sausage File:Khua chin som sai khai.JPG, alt=Khua chin som sai khai is a dish prepared with dry-fried pickled pork and egg. Chin som is the northern Thai name for naem., ''Khua chin som sai khai'' – a dish prepared with dry-fried pickled pork and egg. ''Chin som'' is the northern Thai name for ''naem'' File:Yam naem.JPG, alt=Yam naem is a Thai salad prepared with naem and other ingredients., ''Nam Khao'' – a Laotian salad prepared with ''naem'' and other ingredients File:Phat naem sai khai.jpg, alt=Phat naem sai khai is a dish consisting of naem stir-fried with egg., ''Phat naem sai khai'' – ''naem'' stir fried with egg

Nutritional content

A serving size of of ''naem'' has 185 kilocalories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate. According to the "Industrialization of Thai Nham" by Warawut Krusong of the

King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL or KMIT Ladkrabang for short) is a research and educational institution in Thailand. It is situated in Lat Krabang District, Bangkok approximately 30 km east of the city center. The ...

vitamins B1 and B2, ferric iron, and phosphorus were present in naem, quantities unspecified.

Microbiology

''Naem'' has on occasion been contaminated with

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson h ...

s such as ''

Taenia solium ''Taenia solium'', the pork tapeworm, belongs to the cyclophyllid cestode family Taeniidae. It is found throughout the world and is most common in countries where pork is eaten. It is a tapeworm that uses humans as its definitive host and pigs ...

'', ''

Trichinella spiralis ''Trichinella spiralis'' is a viviparous nematode parasite, occurring in rodents, pigs, bears, hyenas and humans, and is responsible for the disease trichinosis. It is sometimes referred to as the "pork worm" due to it being typically encount ...

'', and enteropathogenic bacteria such as

coliform bacteria Coliform bacteria are defined as either motile or non-motile Gram-negative non- spore forming Bacilli that possess β-galactosidase to produce acids and gases under their optimal growth temperature of 35-37°C. They can be aerobes or facultative ...

and ''

''. It has been demonstrated that ''Salmonella'' growth is inhibited by the formation of

during the

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

process. Use of the

starter culture A fermentation starter (called simply starter within the corresponding context, sometimes called a mother) is a preparation to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation of various foods and alcoholic drinks. Food groups wh ...

'' Lactobacillus curvatus'' has been shown to prevent "the outgrowth of

" in ''naem''. ''Naem'' is sometimes

Regulations on bacterial content

The bacterial content in Thai sour pork products is regulated. There should not be more than of '' Escherichia coli O157:H7'', ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often posit ...

'' not more than , ''

Yersinia enterocolitica ''Yersinia enterocolitica'' is a Gram-negative, bacillus-shaped bacterium, belonging to the family Yersiniaceae. It is motile at temperatures of 22–29° C (72–84 °F), but becomes nonmotile at normal human body temperature. ''Y. enterocolit ...

'' not more than , ''

Listeria monocytogenes ''Listeria monocytogenes'' is the species of pathogenic bacteria that causes the infection listeriosis. It is a facultative anaerobic bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. It can grow and reproduce inside the host ...

'' not more than , ''

Clostridium perfringens ''Clostridium perfringens'' (formerly known as ''C. welchii'', or ''Bacillus welchii'') is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming pathogenic bacterium of the genus ''Clostridium''. ''C. perfringens'' is ever-present in nature an ...

'' not more than , Fungi less than 10colony per gram, ''Trichinellaspiralis'' less than . Bacteria at higher levels may cause sickness.

Overview

Prominence

Varieties

Use in dishes

Nutritional content

Microbiology

Regulations on bacterial content

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading