Tiny shrimp fermented whole in salt and rice, served with lime, chilli and shallot as a sharp relish with rice. It is a Melaka speciality made from the seasonal geragau shrimp run, and the shrimp are eaten whole.
It is an ambient ferment of raw shellfish in a sealed jar, kept safe by a salt ratio measured against the weight of shrimp — and shellfish additionally concentrate marine biotoxins that fermenting does not destroy.
What goes into it
- geragau — tiny planktonic shrimp
- coarse salt
- cooked rice
How it is made
The shrimp are washed and drained, mixed with a heavy dose of salt and a little cooked rice, and packed into sealed jars. The rice starch feeds lactic bacteria that acidify the jar while the salt holds everything else back, and over two to four weeks the shrimp soften into a pink, pungent, faintly sour mass.
How long it takes: two to four weeks in a sealed jar
How it is eaten
A spoonful with lime juice, sliced chilli and shallot, alongside plain rice and fried fish.
History
Melaka speciality made from the seasonal geragau shrimp run; the fermented shrimp are eaten whole as a sharp relish with rice.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cencaluk?
Cencaluk is a fermented & pickled from Malaysia: tiny shrimp fermented whole in salt and rice, served with lime, chilli and shallot. Melaka speciality made from the seasonal geragau shrimp run; the fermented shrimp are eaten whole as a sharp relish with rice.
How is Cencaluk made?
The shrimp are washed and drained, mixed with a heavy dose of salt and a little cooked rice, and packed into sealed jars. The rice starch feeds lactic bacteria that acidify the jar while the salt holds everything else back, and over two to four weeks the shrimp soften into a pink, pungent, faintly sour mass. It takes two to four weeks in a sealed jar.
Can I make Cencaluk at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is an ambient ferment of raw shellfish in a sealed jar, kept safe by a salt ratio measured against the weight of shrimp — and shellfish additionally concentrate marine biotoxins that fermenting does not destroy.
What goes into Cencaluk?
Geragau — tiny planktonic shrimp, coarse salt, cooked rice.
How is Cencaluk eaten?
A spoonful with lime juice, sliced chilli and shallot, alongside plain rice and fried fish.
