''Ngachin'' (; ), also called pickled fish, is a traditional fermented fish product used in
Burmese cuisine
Burmese cuisine encompasses the diverse regional culinary traditions of Myanmar, which have developed through longstanding agricultural practices, centuries of sociopolitical and economic change, and cross-cultural contact and trade with neighb ...
. ''Ngachin'' consists of raw freshwater fish, which is pressed with a mixture of cooked rice gruel and salt as it ferments, and is traditionally packed in ''taungzun'' leaves.
Bronze featherback
The bronze featherback (''Notopterus notopterus'') is a ray-finned fish in the family Notopteridae found in South and Southeast Asia. Although primarily found in fresh water, it has been known to enter brackish water. At present, it is the only ...
is typically used for ''ngachin'', although other freshwater varieties like
rohu
The rohu, rui, ruhi or roho labeo (''Labeo rohita'') is a species of fish of the carp family, found in rivers in South Asia. It is a large omnivore and extensively used in aquaculture.
Description
The rohu is a large, silver-colored fish of ...
can be substituted.
The version using shrimp is called ''bazunchin'' (ပုစွန်ချဉ်, ).
''Ngachin'' is popularly served in a
Burmese salad, mixed with garlic, shallots, fresh chillies, coriander and served with rice.
In
Madauk, ''ngachin'' is commonly served in
mohinga
Mohinga (, ; also spelt mont hin gar) is the national dish of Myanmar. Mohinga is fish soup made with rice noodles, typically served as a hearty breakfast. It features a rich broth flavored with lemongrass, turmeric, and fish sauce, often garnish ...
, a rice noodle soup.
In popular culture
''Ngachin'' is the subject of a popular Burmese proverb, "homemade ''ngachin'' tastes better" (ကိုယ့်ငါးချဉ် ကိုယ်ချဉ်), reflecting the shortcomings of personal biases.
See also
*
Burmese cuisine
Burmese cuisine encompasses the diverse regional culinary traditions of Myanmar, which have developed through longstanding agricultural practices, centuries of sociopolitical and economic change, and cross-cultural contact and trade with neighb ...
*
Shrimp paste
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a Fermentation, fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed Shrimp and prawn as food, shrimp or krill mixed ...
*
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 ...
References
{{Burmese cuisine
Fermented fish
Umami enhancers
Burmese cuisine
Food paste
Fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
Salted foods