Naem

Naem khluk ("mixed naem") is a dish prepared with naem. At bottom is a close-up view of the same dish

Naem (Thai: แหนม, pronounced [nɛ̌ːm], also referred to as nham, naem moo, naem maw and cured pork)[1][2] is a red-colored, semi-dry lactic-fermented pork sausage in Thai cuisine prepared using minced raw pork and pork skin, significant amounts of cooked or sticky rice, chili peppers, garlic, sugar, salt and potassium nitrate.[3][4][5][6][7] It is also produced in areas of Southeast Asia that are near Thailand.[8] Minced beef is sometimes used in its preparation.[6] After the mix is prepared, it is encased in banana leaves, synthetic sausage casings or tubular plastic bags and left to ferment for three to five days.[3][5] Naem has a sour quality to it due to the fermentation, in which lactic acid bacteria and yeasts grow within the sausage.[5] The lactic acid bacteria and yeasts expand by feeding upon the rice and sugar, and the use of salt prevents the meat from rotting.[5]

Naem typically has a short shelf life and can be time-consuming and labor-intensive to prepare.[3] In Thailand, it is typically stored at room temperature, which gives it a shelf life of around one week.[3] Refrigeration can extend its shelf life.[3]

Naem is often consumed raw,[9] (after fermentation has occurred), and is often accompanied with shallot, ginger, bird’s eye chili peppers and spring onions.[5] It is used as an ingredient in various dishes,[10] and is also consumed as a side dish and as a condiment.[11] The cooking of naem significantly changes its flavor.[9]

Prominence

Naem has been described as "one of the popular meat products of the country prepared from ground pork"[6] and as "one of the most popular traditional Thai fermented meat products".[7]

Microbiology

Use of the starter culture Lactobacillus curvatus has been demonstrated to prevent "the outgrowth of pathogenic bacteria" in naem.[6] Naem has on occasion been contaminated with parasites such as Taenia solium and Trichinella spiralis and enteropathogenic bacteria such as coliform bacteria and Salmonella.[7] It has been demonstrated that Salmonella growth is inhibited by the formation of lactic acid during the fermentation process.[7] Naem is sometimes treated with irradiation.[9]

Varieties

Boun sou nam is a variety prepared with fermented sour pork, pork rind, chili pepper, garlic, salt and sugar.[12] This variety is prepared and sold in Asian grocery stores in the United States.[12] It has been described as similar tasting to salami, but as spicier and as having a slight tanginess.[12] Boun sou nam must be cooked before consumption.[12]

Năam môr in Northern Thailand may be fermented in a clay pot.[13]

Use in dishes

Naem is used as an ingredient in several dishes, and its use adds significant amounts of protein. Dishes include naem fried with eggs and naem fried rice.[5] Naem pat woon sen sai khai is a dish prepared with naem, glass noodles and egg, among other ingredients such as spring onion and red pepper.[2] Naem khao is a salad dish in Lao cuisine prepared using Lao fermented pork sausage, rice, coconut, peanuts, mint, cilantro, fish sauce and lemon juice.[14] The naem and rice are formed into balls, deep-fried, and then served broken atop the various ingredients.[15] A restaurant named Serenade in Bankok, Thailand purveys a dish called the "McNaem", which consists of a duck egg wrapped in naem that is fried and then plated atop a dish with risotto, slaw, shiitake mushrooms, herbs and cooked sea scallops atop crushed garlic.[16]

Nutritional content

Naem
Nutritional value per
Energy 774.04[17] kJ (185.00 kcal)
3.6 [17]
9.9 g [17]
20.2 g [17]
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Per a serving size of 100 grams, Naem has 185 kilocalories, 20.2 g protein, 9.9 g fat and 3.6 g carbohydrate.[17] Vitamins and minerals that have been found in Naem are "vitamins B1 and B2, ferric iron and phosphorus".[17] The amount of these vitamins and minerals were unspecified.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Doughty, K.; Lewis, L.; Books, M. (2009). Food of Asia. Murdoch Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-74196-419-6.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Cured Pork Fried with Glass Noodles and Egg". Thai Food Master. February 23, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Applications of Biotechnology to Traditional Fermented Foods: Report of an Ad Hoc Panel of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development. National Academies Press. 1992. pp. 121–130. ISBN 978-0-309-04685-5.
  4. ↑ Hester, H. (2014). Couscous 120 Success Secrets - 120 Most Asked Questions On Couscous - What You Need To Know. Emereo Publishing. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4888-2490-6.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Thai Food Master". Making Fermented Thai Pork Sausage. February 24, 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hui, Y.H.; Evranuz, E.Ö. (2012). Handbook of Animal-Based Fermented Food and Beverage Technology, Second Edition. Handbook of fermented food and beverage technology. CRC Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4398-5023-7.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Steinkraus 2004, pp. 721-736.
  8. ↑ Toldrá, Fidel (2014). Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 939–940. ISBN 1118522672.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Satin, Morton (1996). Food Irradiation: A Guidebook, Second Edition. CRC Press. p. 131. ISBN 1566763444.
  10. ↑ Ling, K.; Tsai, M.; Liew, C.; Tettoni, L. (2012). The Asian Kitchen. Tuttle Publishing. p. 385. ISBN 978-1-4629-0532-4.
  11. ↑ Batt, C.A.; Robinson, R.K. (1999). Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology. Elsevier Science. p. 850. ISBN 978-0-12-384733-1.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Bladholm, L. (1999). The Asian Grocery Store Demystified. Take It with You Guides. St. Martin's Press. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-58063-045-0. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  13. ↑ Evans, B. (2008). Thai Phrasebook 6th Edition. Lonely Planet phrasebooks. Lonely Planet. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-74059-734-0.
  14. ↑ Publishing, DK (2011). Ultimate Food Journeys: The World's Best Dishes and Where to Eat Them. DK Publishing. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-7566-9588-0.
  15. ↑ Bush, A.; Elliot, M.; Ray, N. (2010). Laos. Country Guide Series (in Portuguese). Lonely Planet. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-74179-153-2. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ Lowe, G. (2011). Cool Bangkok: Your Essential Guide to What’s Hip and Happening. Your essential guide to what's hip & happening. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. p. 46. ISBN 978-981-4435-38-3.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Steinkraus 2004, p. 722.

Bibliography

Further reading

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