Freshwater fish fermented with rice and salt until sour, then fried. It is a South Sumatran and Lampung preserve from the rivers, made when the catch outstrips what can be eaten fresh.
It is an ambient ferment of raw fish in a sealed jar, kept safe by hitting a salt and acidity balance that has no reliable domestic gauge.
What goes into it
- freshwater fish
- salt
- cooked rice, or toasted rice powder
- sometimes palm sugar
How it is made
The fish is cleaned, salted heavily and left a day, then packed into a jar in layers with cooked rice and sealed. The rice sugars feed lactic bacteria, which acidify the jar over weeks and preserve the fish. It is always fried or cooked before eating.
How long it takes: one week to several months in the jar
How it is eaten
Fried with chilli, shallot and turmeric, and eaten with rice.
History
A South Sumatran and Lampung preserve from the rivers, made when the catch outstrips what can be eaten fresh.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bekasam?
Bekasam is a fermented & pickled from Indonesia: freshwater fish fermented with rice and salt until sour, then fried. A South Sumatran and Lampung preserve from the rivers, made when the catch outstrips what can be eaten fresh.
How is Bekasam made?
The fish is cleaned, salted heavily and left a day, then packed into a jar in layers with cooked rice and sealed. The rice sugars feed lactic bacteria, which acidify the jar over weeks and preserve the fish. It is always fried or cooked before eating. It takes one week to several months in the jar.
Can I make Bekasam at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is an ambient ferment of raw fish in a sealed jar, kept safe by hitting a salt and acidity balance that has no reliable domestic gauge.
What goes into Bekasam?
Freshwater fish, salt, cooked rice, or toasted rice powder, sometimes palm sugar.
How is Bekasam eaten?
Fried with chilli, shallot and turmeric, and eaten with rice.
