Hentak is a thick
fermented
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 compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...
paste in
Manipuri cuisine
Manipuri cuisine refers to the cuisine of Manipur, a state of northeastern India. Daily meals are based on rice, with a few side dishes of vegetables, fish and meat. A meal would usually have a vegetable stew called or , flavored with dried ...
made with sun-dried fish powder and the
petioles of
aroid
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also k ...
plants. The small
Indian flying barb fish are sun dried on
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
trays and crushed to powder. The aroid petioles are cut into pieces and left in the sun for one day, then in equal parts with the fish powder the mixture is sealed in an earthen pot and fermented for around one week.
''Hentak'' is a standard ingredient in Manipuri households, where it is consumed as a condiment with boiled rice or
curry
Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...
.
[ Some preparations may include other plant ingredients like '']Colocasia esculenta
Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...
''. The standard ingredient of aroid petioles enhances flavor and also serves the purpose of aiding the fermentation process. In Manipur, ''hentak'' is a homemade preparation that is not produced for commercial markets. It is custom to serve this to expecting mothers and patients in convalescent
Convalescence is the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness or injury.
Details
It refers to the later stage of an infectious disease or illness when the patient recovers and returns to previous health, but may continue to be a sou ...
.
Another fish paste from Northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
is tungtap.
See also
*Fermented fish
Fermented fish is a traditional preservation of fish. Before refrigeration, canning and other modern preservation techniques became available, fermenting was an important preservation method. Fish rapidly spoils, or goes rotten, unless some method ...
*Garum
Garum is a fermentation (food), fermented fish sauce that was used as a condiment in the cuisines of Phoenicia, Ancient Greek cuisine, ancient Greece, Ancient Roman cuisine, Rome, Carthage and later Byzantine cuisine, Byzantium. Liquamen is a si ...
*Bagoong
''Bagoóng'' (; ) is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish (''bagoóng isdâ'') or krill or shrimp paste (''bagoóng alamáng'') with salt. The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as ''pat ...
*Terasi
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. It is sold eith ...
References
Manipuri cuisine
Fermented foods
Fermented fish
Fish sauces
{{Condiment-stub