Pla ra

Pla ra(Thai:ปลาร้า,pronounced[plāːráː];Northeastern Thai:ปลาแดก,pronounced[pāːdɛ̀ːk]),  similar topadaekinLaos, is a traditionalThaiseasoning produced by fermenting fish withrice branor roastedrice flourand salt fermented in a closed container for at least six months.Fermented fish seasoning are commonly found in Cambodian,Lao,Mon, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.Pla rahas a very strong smell, which is considered unpleasant by some people. Its flavors are salty and sour, depending on the amount of salt put in andlactic acidresulting fromfermentationprocess.
Pla rawas a common food in theAyutthaya Kingdom. The French diplomatSimon de la Loubère, who visited Siam during the mid-Ayutthaya period, wrote about pla ra:
explained that the main source of food was rice and fish. Siamese people did not like to eat fresh fish.Fermented fishwas popular as much as spicy Thai dip orNam phrik. When he returned to France, he brought some pla ra with him.
Pla rais classified by its main ingredients.Pla rathat is fermented with roasted rice powder will become yellow with a soft texture and distinctive smell. Mostly used as a paste, this type ofpla rais usually produced incentral Thailand. This type ofpla rausually hasstriped snakehead fishorcatfishas a main ingredient.The other type ispla rafermented with rice bran. The product's color is clear black with a stronger smell. The fish is softer and smaller. It is mostly found in northeastern Thailand as an ingredient, or as a raw food.
Pla rawhich uses fresh fish is calledpla ra sot. Its flavors are salty with a little bit sour fromlactic acid.Pla ra lomuses dead fish with has anautolysis reactionuntil it has an unpleasant smell, or uses fish which is soaked in water for 12–24 hours until it is softer.
There are differing methods to producepla ra. One method holds that there are two phases for makingpla ra. The first phase is to ferment fish with salt until it is softer, and the next phase is to ferment it with rice bran or roasted rice powder for its scent and flavor. A second approach is to ferment the fish with salt and coarsely pounded, toasted, raw glutinous rice for at least six months.
The process starts with cutting the fish into small pieces and fermenting it with salt. After 24 hours, the fish is arranged in a container (mostly a pot) until it is tightly packed and filled with salt water afterwards. The container is sealed for three months. After three months, a first stagepla rawill be mixed with rice bran or roasted rice powder. Then, it will be rearranged in the container and sealed for two months or more.
In 2018, theThai Ministry of Agriculturepublished regulations to ensure the quality and hygiene of commercially-madepla ra.
Pla rais usually eaten raw or as a chilli fish sauce (nam phrik pla ra). This dish is made of roastedgreen pepper,garlic,shallots, and boiled fish meat. All of these ingredients are ground together. Then boiled fermented fish liquid,fish sauce, andlime juiceare added to the mixture. It is used as a side dish for dipping vegetables or eaten with rice.Pla racan also be processed into a powder by baking it with some spices until it is dry and the grinding it all together.Nam phrik pla raandPla ra song kruengorlon pla raare common in Thailand'sCentral Region.
Composition ofpla ra.
Many species of bacteria have been found inpla ra:
P. halophilusis most prevalent whenpla rais fermented for three to five months. A study found that 90% of samples from markets contain this species ofbacterium, so it has been concluded that it has an important role in the fermenting process, especially forpla ra's taste and aroma. OtherPediococcusspecies also have a role in the taste and aroma, but not as much asP. halophilus. Species ofStaphylococcus,Micrococcus, andBacillusact inprotein degradation.
When usingpla raas an ingredient for uncooked food, it is easily contaminated. An example isnam phrik(chilli fish sauce) which usespla raas an ingredient.Nam phrikis not cooked and is often kept for one or two meals. After a while, it will containpathogensand have a high microorganism count. In some cases, nam phrik had bothE. coliandS. aureuspresent, but nopathogenic organisms. The reason is the acid fromtamarindmade the pH less than 4.6, which prevents the growth of mostpathogens.Pla rabefore reheating is contaminated withS. aureusbut thecoliformis low and it is destroyed by cooking.
In a recent move by thepoliceand redevelopment workers to evict vendors from a market in theKhlong Toei DistrictinBangkok, the local vendors barricaded themselves in the market. During the scuffles that ensued, the traders made "stink bombs" with thin plastic bags filled withpla raand hurled them at policemen.On 1 February 2010 bags of excrement andpla rawere thrown atThai Prime MinisterAbhisit Vejjajiva's house.