Ngapi, formerly also spelled ngapee, nga-pee, and gnapee, is a pungent paste made of either fish or shrimp in Burmese cuisine. Ngapi is usually made by fermenting fish or shrimp that is salted and ground then sun dried. Many variations exist as Ngapi applies only to the content. Like cheese, it can be distinguished based on main ingredient and regional origin. Ngapi can be distinguished from the type of fish used to make it. Ngapi can come from whole fish, from small fish or from prawns. Ngapi is a main ingredient of Lower Burmese cooking and is used as a condiment or additive in most dishes. Raw ngapi is not intended for direct consumption. In other parts of Southeast Asia, a Malay form of the sauce known as balachong or balachaung is more popular.
Uses
Ngapi is a main ingredient of Lower Burmese cuisine from maritime coastal provinces in the west and the south. It is used in a wide array of dishes and is eaten in myriad ways: it can be eaten on its own, such as baked or roasted ngapi, as a watery preparation called ngapi yay, as a salad, as a pounded mixture with chili, or fried like balachong. It is also used as a soup base and in main dishes.
Variations
Regional variants
Rakhine Ngapi - The ngapi of Rakhine State contains very little salt or none at all. It mainly uses marine fish, in light of the Arakanese being a seafaring people. Rakhine ngapi is used as a soup base for the Rakhine signature "national" dish, Mont Di. Like other ngapi, it is widely used in cooking.
In the Ayeyarwady and Tanintharyi divisions, the majority of ngapi is produced from freshwater fish. Ngapi usually contain a lot of added salt. This form of ngapi is more widely available in Myanmar and the Burmese population is more accustomed to the saltier ngapi than the Rakhine version. The ngapi from Myeik is very well known and is saltier than those from the region.
Other ngapi dishes
The versatility of ngapi is reflected in the colourful mosaic the people of Myanmar have developed to consume ngapi.
Ngapi daung - the ngapi is baked or roasted in a frying pan without oil. Depending on the region and family preference, the ngapi is put in a stone mortar and is pounded with garlic and red or green chili.
Ngapi yay -an essential part of Karen cuisine. In the S'gaw Karen language, this is known as nya-u-htee. The ngapi is boiled with onions, tomato, garlic, pepper and other spices. The result is a greenish-grey broth-like sauce, which makes its way to every Burmese dining table. Fresh, raw or blanched vegetables and fruits are dipped into the ngapi yay and eaten. Sometimes, in less affluent families, ngapi yay forms the main dish, and also the main source of protein.
Ngapi thoke - a salad made with ngapi diluted in lime or lemon juice and mixed with chopped onions and chili.
Ngapi gyet - ngapi cooked with oil and depending on the seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables, such as tomato, mango, chili, mayanthee, tamarind, etc.
Ngapi kyeik - a Rakhine condiment where baked rakhine ngapi is mixed with large green chili and garlic. It is also called Ngayote kyeik
Pè ngapi, from the highland Shan States, ngapi is made instead from fermented soy beans also called pè bohk. Although lacking fish or prawn products, it is called ngapi. Pè ngapi is used as both a flavoring and a condiment in Shan and Burmese cuisine. It may also be used to make a curry.
Ngapi kyaw, various types of ngapi that are fried with a wide variety of ingredients, mainly shredded shrimp flakes, onions, garlic and chili. The texture can range from jam-like to flossy, and the flavour varies depending on an individual household, restaurant or monastery. Ngapi gyaw is almost always present in ahlus in Burmese monasteries. Some 'ngapi kyaw' may not contain ngapi at all.
Nutrition
As ngapi is made from fish, shrimp or beans, it is a source of protein. The ngapi made from marine fish and prawns also provide a source of iodine : this may possibly be beneficial for those inland consumers whose diet may be iodine-deficient and who do not have access to iodized salt. Due to the high salt content which goes into the preparation, ngapi, like all salt-rich foods, should be consumed in moderation in patients with salt-sensitive hypertension.
