HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Ngari (fish)
OR:
Ngari (fish) on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Ngari is a
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 ...
product indigenous to the people of
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
. ''Nga'' means fish in
Meitei language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...
and ''ri'' (''riba/liba'') means the process of fermentation. It is used as a condiment in Manipuri dishes like eromba,
singju ''Singju'' (; ''pronounced sing-zoo'') is a dish from Manipur. It originated with the Meitei people, Meitei-culture but has been widely adopted by most of the ethnic communities of the state and in some neighbouring states of Northeast India. ...
, kangshoi, morok metpa, and others. Ngari is also consumed in other southwest States of India.


Preparation and nutritional value

Ngari is made from small sun-dried pool barbs (''Puntius sophore'') locally known as phouba nga, which are 5-10 cm long. Traditionally, the fish is packed tightly in an earthen pot called ''ngari chaphou'' or ''kharung'' with a small amount of vegetable oil. The pot is then sealed with a
fish paste Fish paste is fish which has been chemically broken down by a fermentation process until it reaches the consistency of a soft creamy purée or Paste (food), paste. Alternatively it refers to cooked fish that has been physically broken down by pou ...
, leaves, and mud and kept for fermentation at room temperature for about six months. Each of these pots can hold up to 15-75 kg of fish. It has a high source of protein, vitamins, and essential amino acids and fatty acids. It also aids in digestion and has pharmacological benefits.


Production

There are families in Manipur who have been in the business of making ngari for generations. Nowadays, there are multiple commercial units in the business of ngari production in Manipur. The government licenses these units and they need to comply with the rules of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.


Concerns

A 2015 study reported that the population of phabou nga has been rapidly declining due to rising commercial activity around the production of ngari, and increasing pollution in and around the Loktak Lake. Adulteration in the production process by adding chemicals such as
urea Urea, also called carbamide (because it is a diamide of carbonic acid), is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two Amine, amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest am ...
to speed up the fermentation has been reported.


In popular culture

Olympic medallist
Mary Kom Mangte Chungneijang "Mary" Kom (born 24 November 1982) is an Indian Amateur boxing, Olympic boxer, politician, and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Member of Rajya Sabha. She is the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Champions ...
said that ''ngari'' was one of the fermented fish varieties her family frequently eats.


See also

* Manipuri cuisine


References

{{Reflist Manipuri cuisine Fermented fish