Think of a condiment that has all of these qualities: it is eaten throughout Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines; it is always made by fermenting the same natural ingredient; the taste is always the same so there is no barrier to using one country’s product from use in another’s national recipes. The answer: plaa raa, or fermented fish.
If you go to Cambodia you will find it being sold in any major market, with shops offering premium plaa raa made from snakehead fish, catfish, sheatfish and the local chado, or giant snakehead fish. It takes the form of large, boneless pieces that are salty, fragrant and free of liquid that are packaged in big glass bottles to display the special qualities of the shop’s offerings. Tourists can buy it in well-sealed plastic bags.
In Vietnam it is made from catfish cut into thin, clean slices. Alternating layers of fish and thinly sliced pineapple are fermented together, and when ready to eat it is also liquid-free and has the scent of the pineapple.
In earlier times here in Thailand, every region and every household made plaa raa for home use. Small fish of different kinds, especially fish that couldn’t be used for other purposes, were widely used. These made excellent plaa raa, and could be eaten after fermenting them for seven or eight months.
When the time comes to use the plaa raa for cooking, it should be simmered first to make it very soft, and then filtered to obtain the liquid. When it is simmering it can be smelled from far away, but people don’t resent it and may find it fragrant and even be envious, thinking that this house will be enjoying plaa raa while they won’t.
Plaa raa is a basic food in Isan. Nam plaa, or regular fish sauce, only became known to people in that part of the country after they had been eating plaa raa for centuries. One simple nam phrik (chilli sauce) of earlier times was made by taking raw plaa raa fermented from little fish and pounding it with dried chillies, garlic, onion and lime juice. It was eaten as a dip for balls of sticky rice or as an ingredient in kaeng awm or kaeng tom phak. Both of these soup-like curries are made from a variety of vegetables, liquid from plaa raa, toasted and pounded raw rice, and shallots.
The fermented fish is an essential part of life in Isan. As soon as babies are able to manage solid food they begin to eat it. Plaa raa and the people of Isan will never part ways. The only change in the relationship that has taken place over the years is the practice of cooking it, as is done now, instead of eating it raw.
Actually, plaa raa is in no danger of disappearing from any of Thailand’s regions. It is only in Bangkok that the majority of people don’t like it, or only eat it occasionally in certain dishes.
There are a number of possible reasons for this. Perhaps it is because of the city’s large ethnic Chinese population. Since the Chinese originally did not eat nam plaa and used only salt, plaa raa would have been even less to their liking. They had an aversion to strong smells, and when older generations did not like plaa raa, younger ones were unlikely to develop a taste for the condiment.
Another reason may be rooted in the old belief that fermented fish were dirty and full of harmful bacteria. Then there is the factor of change from a society that made its own food to one that bought most of it. There are also restrictions imposed by living spaces. People who reside in condominiums or housing estates where the homes are close together would make few friends if they were to simmer plaa raa for home use.
Let’s look at some of the dishes that are made with plaa raa. First is the chilli dip sauce called nam phrik plaa raa. People make it for sale in Bangkok but often avoid the use of its real name, telling their customers instead that it is nam phrik plaa thuu (substituting the Thai word for mackerel for the words plaa raa). It is made by grilling onions, garlic, and green and red chillies until fragrant and then pounding them to a coarse consistency. Steamed mackerel is added and the ingredients are pounded again, maintaining the coarse texture before liquid from plaa raa and lime juice are put in. The sauce is eaten with a variety of local vegetables.
Plaa raa song khrueang is another curry-like Thai dish. Plaa raa liquid is cooked with coconut cream, and when it comes to a boil pieces of catfish are added. A little palm sugar is put in and vegetables including boiled and sliced tender bamboo shoots, long beans, small green eggplants and chillies are added. Plaa raa song khrueang is hard to find these days, although older curry shops will offer it from time to time.
Plaa raa thawt, or deep-fried plaa raa, is quite different. Long pieces of fermented snakehead fish are fried in oil and then set on a plate. To season them, sliced shallots and phrik khee nuu (fiery bird’s eye chillies) are scattered on top. After some lime juice has been squeezed over the dish it is ready to eat.
Plaa raa sap phat is another fried dish made in both Thailand and Cambodia. Pork and plaa raa made from snakehead fish are chopped together with lemongrass, shallots, phrik khee nuu, makrood lime zest, then fried in a wok. When the mixture is fully cooked, slivers of makrood lime leaf, sliced shallots and mint leaves are scattered over it.
Even if you think that having plaa raa as an ingredient is a good reason to stay clear of a certain dish, a little experimenting might change your mind. Trying recipes made with plaa raa from different parts of Southeast Asia can be both challenging and fun. Most are delicious enough to make you abandon prejudices while becoming familiar with one of the oldest and most widely eaten of all the region’s foods.
FERMENTING FLAVOURS: ‘Plaa raa thawt’, top, and ‘nam phrik plaa raa’ are popular options.
