Brem is traditional

fermented food In food processing, fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol or Organic compound, organic acids using microorganisms—yeasts or bacteria—without an oxidizing agent being used in the reaction. Fermentation ...

fermented beverage This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, Fermentation in food processing, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to ethanol, alcohol using yeas ...

from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. There are two types of brem, brem cake (solid) that is usually eaten as snack from

Madiun Madiun () is a city in the western part of East Java, Indonesia, known for its agricultural center. The city has been administratively separate from the surrounding Madiun Regency since the formation of the two bodies in 1950, but the city remain ...

and Wonogiri, and brem beverage (liquid) made of

rice wine Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermentation, fermented from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia, where rice is a quintessential staple crop. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch, during wh ...

from

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

and

Nusa Tenggara The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pr ...

, but mostly known from Bali. Brem first appeared in Java around the year 1000, based on investigations regarding old Javanese inscriptions and literature.The appearance of Brem in Java and its surroundings
Brem as a beverage is consumed and holds important use in certain temple ceremonies of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

called Tetabuhan, as an offering beverage for ''Buto Kala'' (lit. Kala the Giant) in order to evoke harmony. Brem can be either white or red depending on the proportions of white and black

glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

used in production. As a liquid, brem's taste can range from very sweet to semi-sweet, yet acidic and contains alcohol with varying degrees, usually from 5% to 14%. Brem cake is produced in two places, Wonogiri and Madiun. This kind of brem is believed by Indonesian consumers to be beneficial for stimulating the

circulatory system In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart ...

. It is also reported to prevent

dermatitis Dermatitis is a term used for different types of skin inflammation, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened ...

, most likely due to the presence of significant amounts of

B vitamin B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. They are a chemically diverse class of compounds. Dietary supplements containing all eight are referred to as a vit ...

s produced by the

microorganisms A microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in ...

used in its fermentation. This product is consumed as a

snack A snack is a small portion of Human food, food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including Food packaging, packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at ho ...

and is not part of the daily family diet.

Production of brem

Fermented beverage

Liquid brem is made from a fermented mash of black/ white glutinous rice (known as ''Ketan'') using a dry-starter called '' Ragi tape''.

Glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

is soaked and drained, steamed for 1 hour, and then cooled down. The cooled rice is then inoculated with ''Ragi tape'' and amylolysis begins. A honey-like rice syrup settles in the bottom of the malting vessel. Following 3 days of conversion from rice starch to sugar, a

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

culture is added, and alcoholic

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 ...

begins. Alcoholic fermentation typically goes on for two weeks.

References

External links

Pictorial of brem production at Dewi Sri

{{Indonesian cuisine Fermented foods Rice wine Types of beer Indonesian snack foods Indonesian alcoholic drinks

Production of brem

Fermented beverage

See also

References

External links