Ngapi

Ngapi (Burmese: ငပိ or ငါးပိ [ŋəpḭ], lit. "pressed fish"), formerly also spelled ngapee,nga-pee, and gnapee, is a generic term for pungent pastes made of either fish or shrimp in Burmese cuisine. Ngapi is usually made by fermenting fish or shrimp that is salted and ground then sun dried. Many variations exist. Ngapi is a generic term which applies only to the content. Like cheese, it can be distinguished based on main ingredient and regional origin. Ngapi can be distinguished from the type of fish used to make it. Ngapi can come from whole fish (such as ngapi kaung), from small fish (mhyin ngapi) or from prawns. Ngapi is a main ingredient of Lower Burmese cooking and is used as a condiment or additive in most dishes. Raw ngapi is not intended for direct consumption.

In other parts of Southeast Asia, a Malay form of the sauce known as balachong or balachaung is more popular.

Ngapi is a main ingredient of Lower Burmese cuisine from maritime coastal provinces in the west and the south. (It is not a main ingredient in traditional Upper Burmese (Burman, Shan, etc.) cuisines, although improved transportation in the modern era has helped increase ngapi's popularity in Upper Myanmar.) It is used in a wide array of dishes and is eaten in myriad ways: it can be eaten on its own, such as baked or roasted ngapi, as a watery preparation called ngapi yay (ငပိရည်), as a salad, as a pounded mixture with chili, or fried like balachong. It is also used as a soup base and in main dishes.

The versatility of ngapi is reflected in the colourful mosaic the people of Myanmar have developed to consume ngapi.

As ngapi is made from fish, shrimp or beans, it is a source of protein. The ngapi made from marine fish and prawns also provide a source of iodine (which is abundant in all seafood): this may possibly be beneficial for those inland consumers whose diet may be iodine-deficient and who do not have access to iodized salt. Due to the high salt content which goes into the preparation, ngapi, like all salt-rich foods, should be consumed in moderation in patients with salt-sensitive hypertension.

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