FermenteaWhere food goes to change
Equipment · Jars, pots and crocks
chaphou · chaphou · kharung
A chaphou is an old, narrow-necked earthen jar used to ferment ngari, the Manipuri fish product. A 2020 study documents tightly packed dry fish sealed with mud; it gives no standard jar size or age.
Ngari is a fermented fish food associated with Manipur, in northeastern India. A 2009 paper on traditional fermented foods of Manipur names ngari among fish products consumed as regular food and says household preparation knowledge is handed down across generations. Its abstract provides cultural context but does not describe a jar’s date or dimensions.
A 2020 paper calls the earthen pot or vat used in its documented process a chaphou. It describes the vessel as old and narrow-necked, while the accompanying 2015 photograph shows a broad, swollen body. Neither source provides a measured profile, so the illustration shows those general traits without assigning a capacity or exact proportions.
In one documented process, non-salted dried Puntius sophore fish were washed, drained, pressed and packed tightly into an old narrow-necked earthen pot or vat called a chaphou, then the pot was sealed with mud. Fermentation in this process is reported at room temperature for six to eight months. These details describe one research process and should not be generalized into a universal recipe or safety endpoint.
The study does not state the jar’s exact wall thickness, clay source, firing method, capacity or mouth diameter. It also does not supply a cleaning or seasoning procedure for reused pots. The Commons image caption says the photographed vessels were sealed for “days,” which conflicts with the study’s six-to-eight-month process; the photo is used here for vessel appearance and setting, not as a timing source.
The documented geographic association is Manipur, with the 2020 paper specifying Imphal as the market where its fish were obtained. The 2009 paper provides regional food context, while the 2020 paper provides the vessel description and one preparation method. The evidence does not establish when chaphou jars originated, a single standard shape or size, or one salting practice for every ngari producer. The 2020 source uses chaphou for its vessel; this entry makes no claim that the name is universal.
Jeyaram and colleagues’ 2009 study documents ngari among Manipur’s traditional fermented foods and describes household preparation knowledge as passed between generations. It does not date the origin of a particular jar. Khusro and colleagues’ 2020 process paper describes an old, narrow-necked earthen pot called a chaphou; “old” is the source’s description, not an age measurement or date for the vessel tradition.
The paper does not report a standardized capacity, height, mouth diameter, wall thickness or full vessel profile; do not infer dimensions from the photograph.
Source →The cited process uses non-salted dry fish, but documents one preparation rather than a universal rule for ngari batches.
Source →The 2009 study documents ngari among Manipur's traditional fermented fish foods; the 2020 paper reports one chaphou-based preparation in Imphal.
Ngari is a Manipuri fermented fish condiment made from small sun-dried fish, usually Puntius sophore, packed for fermentation. A biochemical study describes a salt-free method; it works as a condiment and ingredient rather than as a filtered sauce.
An earthen fermentation pot documented in Ayurvedic asava and arishta preparations. Studies in India compare pot and non-earthen vessels; field research in Sri Lanka records both earlier buried pots and later, varied factory practice.
A chocolate refiner or melanger uses powered rotation and stone rollers to refine cocoa mass. Some models also process nut and seed pastes; design, material and operating limits vary.
Contemporary vessels used to ferment coffee cherries or pulped coffee with restricted air exchange. Drums, rigid tanks and hermetic bags differ in material and monitoring; “anaerobic” alone does not describe a batch's conditions.
Unglazed earthen pots are used to set and often serve dahi and Bengali mishti doi. Documented forms range from small cups to shallow, broad vessels; no standard size or capacity is established.
A glazed cabinet in which sunlight passes through a transparent cover onto a dark interior while air moves over mesh trays. The Brace-type cabinet is documented with a dimensioned drawing from 1978.
A warm, sheltered spot or closed box used to ferment rice and black gram batter overnight for idli and dosa, where the kitchen runs cool.
A traditional Indian oil press built around a circular mortar and upright pestle, turned by an animal through a weighted beam; regional versions differ in materials, scale and drive.
Gundruk pots and dhungro are fermentation containers documented in Nepal and one Darjeeling household. FAO describes earthenware; a 2024 figure identifies a bamboo-made airtight dhungro buried in a pit within a cow-dung heap.
No community contributions have been published for this entry yet.
Sign in to contribute. Published comments and photos are free to read.
Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 8(1), 115–121History · Regional context
Traditional fermented foods of ManipurThe 2009 paper lists ngari among Manipur's traditional fermented fish products.
Its abstract says the foods are regularly consumed and describes household knowledge as passed between generations; it gives no vessel-origin date.
Cited in: Ngari and its chaphou; Place and evidence limits
Food Biotechnology, 34(1), 77–99Method · Form · Materials
Techno-functional traits and safety aspects of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from traditional fermented foodThe method describes non-salted dried Puntius sophore, washed and drained, then pressed and packed in an old narrow-necked earthen pot or vat called chaphou.
It says the pot was sealed with mud and fermented at room temperature for 6–8 months in this study's process.
The paper gives no standardized jar dimensions or universal method.
Cited in: Ngari and its chaphou; A documented preparation; Place and evidence limits
Wikimedia CommonsImage · Form
Ngari aka fermented fish..JPGThe file page caption identifies traditional ngari preparation at Eema Bazaar, Imphal, Manipur, and documents jars with tightly packed fish.
The caption says the pots were sealed for days; because this conflicts with the 2020 study's reported duration, this image is used for visual form and setting only. The file is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cited in: Ngari and its chaphou; A documented preparation