6/23/2023 0 Comments Malaysian shrimp paste![]() ![]() ![]() The quality of belacan varies depending on several factors such as the way it is processed, the duration of fermentation, the ratio between salt and tiny shrimps and the use of additional ingredients. Therefore, some producers opted for fishes as a substitute. As there is a reduction in the population of krill, it resulted in the price increased of belacan. Belacan is made with very tiny prawns called krill or ‘geragau’ to the locals. The best belacan consists of only two ingredients - finely grounded shrimps that are boiled and salted before being dried under the sun. Darker coloured belacan is usually more pungent compared to those which are lighter. As shrimp paste comes in different varieties, the odor also varies accordingly. It is indeed a wonderful ingredient to be used as a base for condiments, sauces or gravies because of its depth of flavour. ![]() It brings out the umami flavour when it's added into a dish. Now, at least we know that belacan has a history of over 200 years.Īlthough packed with a pungent smell, a tiny bit of shrimp paste goes a long way. In one specific paragraph, she explained that blachang was made by “trampling a mass of putrefying prawns and shrimps into a paste with bare feet” back in the days and even compared it to ‘decomposed cheese’. A few years later, Isabella Bird who is one of history's most celebrated female travelers has her day-to-day life stories in Malacca published in her 1833 book entitled The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither. It was translated as “caviare made of shrimps”. A dictionary by William Marsden which was published in 1812 documented the word balachan. In Malacca, it is even nicknamed the "Malaccan cheese". The exact history of belacan is unknown although there are stories of belacan originating from Malacca and Penang. However, this is actually a gem used in many Southeast Asian cuisines. Those who are not familiar with the pungent odour might find it offensive. In Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia, it is known as belacan. For example, mắm tôm from Vietnam or kapi from Thailand. There are many varieties and consistencies of shrimp paste throughout Southeast Asia. Salt was found as the main additive and arsenic was present in every sample, which could be the probable cause of the toxicity effects observed.Shrimp paste is made from grounded tiny shrimps and salt. In conclusion, several food extracts showed cytotoxic effect but did not cause DNA damage against Chang liver cells. Following heavy metal analysis (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury), arsenic was found in every sample with dried shrimps showing the highest value as compared to the other samples (6.16 mg/kg). Salt was found in every sample with the highest percentage being detected in shrimp paste which exceeded 20%. Proximate analysis which was used for the evaluation of macronutrients in food showed that shrimp paste did not comply with the protein requirement (<25%) as in Food Act 1983. None of the extracts caused DNA damage to the Chang liver cells at 62.5 microg/ml following 24 h incubation, as compared to the positive control, hydrogen peroxide (tail moment - 9.50+/-1.50 tail intensity - 30.50+/-2.50). To detect DNA damage in a single cell, alkaline Comet Assay was used. Findings showed all methanol extracts caused a tremendous drop in the percentage of cell viability at 2000 microg/ml (shrimp paste - 41.69+/-3.36%, salted fish - 37.2+/-1.06%, dried shrimp - 40.32+/-1.8%, p<0.05). The cytotoxicity effect was evaluated using MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimetil-2-thiazolil)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) against Chang liver cells at 2000 microg/ml following 72 h incubation. Previous studies showed that these food products have a positive correlation with the incidence of cancer. Malaysian locally processed raw food products are widely used as main ingredients in local cooking. ![]()
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