Freshwater fish fermented with toasted rice and tamarind until sour, then fried. It is a Malay river preserve made when the catch outstrips what can be eaten fresh, and the sourness is what keeps it.
It is an ambient ferment of raw freshwater fish in a sealed jar, where the salt and acidity balance has no reliable domestic gauge, and river fish carry parasites that souring does not reliably kill.
What goes into it
- freshwater fish
- salt
- toasted ground rice
- tamarind
- sometimes palm sugar
How it is made
The fish is cleaned, salted heavily for a day, then packed into a jar in layers with toasted rice powder and tamarind and sealed under a weight. Lactic bacteria feed on the rice starch and acidify the jar over one to four weeks. It is always fried or cooked before eating.
How long it takes: one to four weeks in the jar
How it is eaten
Fried until crisp with turmeric and chilli, eaten with rice and sambal.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pekasam?
Pekasam is a fermented & pickled from Malaysia: freshwater fish fermented with toasted rice and tamarind, then fried.
How is Pekasam made?
The fish is cleaned, salted heavily for a day, then packed into a jar in layers with toasted rice powder and tamarind and sealed under a weight. Lactic bacteria feed on the rice starch and acidify the jar over one to four weeks. It is always fried or cooked before eating. It takes one to four weeks in the jar.
Can I make Pekasam at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is an ambient ferment of raw freshwater fish in a sealed jar, where the salt and acidity balance has no reliable domestic gauge, and river fish carry parasites that souring does not reliably kill.
What goes into Pekasam?
Freshwater fish, salt, toasted ground rice, tamarind, sometimes palm sugar.
How is Pekasam eaten?
Fried until crisp with turmeric and chilli, eaten with rice and sambal.
