Page 126 - เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเนเธ—เธข
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Local Knowledge of Fermented Catfish
compiled by Ass. Prof. Suebpong Thammachat
Fermented catfish is the local food of Southern Thailand and is mostly eaten in
Phatthalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat Provinces. Fermented catfish which are famous and
delicious are the ones at Thalay Noi, Khuan Khanun District, Phatthalung Province.
Making fermented catfish is the knowledge of the local Thai people in Southern Thailand.
It is a kind of food preservation of people in Phatthalung Province which is a part of Songkhla Lake
Basin, an abundant water resource, especially in Thalay Noi and Phanang Tung sub-districts, Khuan
Khanun District, Phatthalung Province, located on freshwater seashore, Thalay Noi. Also, there are
plenty of fish and aquatic animals around Pak Panang River Basin, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.
In this area, freshwater fish are normally found, mostly catfish. When some catfish are left
over after being cooked, they are fermented called fermented catfish.
There are a lot of freshwater catfish or Guntherโ€s Walking Catfiah (Clarias Macrocephalus) in
freshwater area, Phatthalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat Provinces. At first, catfish were preserved
by sun drying, but they did not taste good because sun-dried catfish are too dry. Therefore, the
local people made fermented catfish. The fresher catfish you use, the more delicious fermented
catfish are. The catfish which are killed before being cooked are better because their meat is soft
and has good taste. Ingredients for making fermented catfish are salt and honey from palm trees
which were easily found in this area. (However, sugar is now used instead). That is why fermented
catfish taste sweet and salty.
The methods of making fermented catfish are to leave catfish for twelve hours, marinate in
salt and honey or sugar for fourteen hours, sun dry catfish for five days, turn over sun-dried catfish
one time a day. Then, three days later, use a roller to roll the fish from tail to head till flat. If rolled
from head to tail, the catfish meat will be torn. After five days, keep fermented catfish in containers.
In the past, they were kept in the jars, covered with coconut shell and sealed with wax. They
could be kept for consuming later for a year. Nowadays, they can be kept in other containers, such
as saucepans, big bowls and small jars and can be refrigerated to remain fresh for a long time.
The local people fry fermented catfish with low heat or grill them and serve them with
cooked rice, chopped shallots, sliced birdโ€s eye chillies and add lime juice to make a better taste,
so this dish gives sour, sweet and spicy flavours.
เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเนเธ—เธข เธกเธฃเธ”เธเธ เธกเธน เธเธด เธฑเธเธเธฒเธ—เธฒเธเธงเธฑเธ’เธเธเธฃเธฃเธก 123
Thai Food : Thai Cultural Heritage ๆณฐๅผๆ–็-ไผ ็ป้ฅฎ้ฃๆ–ๅ–้—ไบง
