Balachaung
A Myanmar relish of dried shrimp, fried eschalot and garlic, chilli, turmeric, tamarind and ngapi. Naomi Duguid’s published recipe makes about 1 cup; it contains crustacean shellfish.
Ngapi
ငါးပိ · nga-pi
Ngapi is a Myanmar name used for varied fermented fish and shrimp pastes. Selected market and processor samples document differences in species, ingredients, and process; the evidence does not support one nationwide formula.
A varied product name
WorldFish uses Ye gyo Ngapi for sampled fish pastes and reports fish species and methods varying among selected processors and markets. Some sampled pastes included cooked rice or roasted rice powder; others were reported as fish and salt. Separate research distinguishes fish ngapi from shrimp ngapi. These records do not establish one national formula or make every ngapi a shrimp product.
Sources for this section
Geography and historical evidence
WorldFish collected 15 fermented-fish samples in May 2023 from selected project areas: Magway, Sagaing, Kachin, Southern Shan, Eastern Shan, Yangon, and Ayeyarwady. Its annex identifies specific samples from Salin in Magway, Nyaung Don in Ayeyarwady, and Yangon, among others. This is a sample map, not an exhaustive production map. An ethnographic study discusses local fish fermentation and trade and cites early twentieth-century records of ngapi production around Toungoo and Pegu. The available evidence supports longstanding regional practice but cannot establish a precise origin.
Taste and form
The sources reviewed here do not provide a reliable sensory profile for one defined Ngapi batch. Fish and shrimp products, species, salting, rice additions, drying, maturation, and texture vary in the available accounts. A more specific taste description needs direct evidence tied to a named product and source batch.
Sources for this section
Allergens and safety
Fish and shrimp versions need distinct ingredient and allergen declarations; the exact species remains to be established for a specific formulation. WorldFish tested selected products rather than a representative national sample. It reported Salmonella in 7 of 14 samples, E. coli in 3 of 14, measurable histamine in all samples, and high sodium in some products. Those findings signal real concerns for the sampled products but do not describe every ngapi. A Yangon-market study of yegyo ngapi reported sequences similar to Clostridium botulinum in a DNA clone library and recommended closer surveillance. It did not demonstrate that all ngapi contains the organism or establish a home safety control. No validated salt, pH, temperature, time, cooking, histamine-control, or storage limits are supplied here.
History
Ruddle and Ishige discuss Myanmar ngapi within varied regional fish-fermentation traditions and cite early twentieth-century Gazetteer and Page accounts for production and trade in Toungoo and Pegu districts. These are historical associations, not a single origin date or birthplace.
Ingredients
Fish or shrimp (whole fish, small fish or prawns, depending on the version)Salted and ground.
Amount not stated
No quantity given in the sources.SaltMixed into the ground fish or shrimp.
Amount not stated
Varies by region: Rakhine ngapi contains little or no salt; Ayeyarwady and Tanintharyi versions usually contain a lot; Myeik is saltier still. No quantity is recorded.Method
Risks and precautions · High risk
Fish and crustacean allergens
Ngapi includes fish and shrimp variants; species must be established for any eventual formula and allergen disclosure.
Hazard sourceFoodborne contamination
WorldFish reported Salmonella in half and E. coli in 3 of 14 tested fermented-fish samples from selected Myanmar areas; this sample does not estimate prevalence across ngapi.
Hazard sourceHistamine
WorldFish reported measurable histamine in all samples tested. This study does not establish a general safe process or storage limit.
Hazard sourceUncharacterized anaerobic microbiota
A study of Yangon-market yegyo ngapi found sequences similar to Clostridium botulinum and called for closer surveillance; this does not show all ngapi is contaminated.
Hazard sourceNo validated home salt, pH, time, temperature, cooking, histamine-control, or storage limits were identified.
- Salt the whole fish, small fish or prawns; the amount of salt varies by regional version, and no quantity is recorded.
- Grind the salted fish or shrimp to a paste.
- Ferment the paste. No duration or container is recorded in the sources.
- Sun-dry the fermented paste until it sets as ngapi.
- Use raw ngapi only after cooking or dilution; it is generally not intended for direct consumption.
- Prepare it in its regional forms: ngapi yay is boiled into a watery sauce with onion, tomato, garlic and spices; ngapi daung is roasted dry and pounded with garlic and chili; ngapi kyaw is fried with shrimp flakes, onion, garlic and chili.
Places
Myanmar
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceCountry-level association only; neither source establishes a single birthplace.
Salin
Documented preparation · Locality evidenceA sampled Ye gyo Ngapi production locality; not an origin claim.
Nyaung Don
Documented preparation · Locality evidenceA sampled Ye gyo Ngapi production locality; not an origin claim.
Yangon
Documented preparation · Locality evidenceThe report sampled market/processor products here; not an origin claim.
Related
What to make with it
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Sources
WorldFishGeography · Ingredients · Method · Safety
Quality of fermented fish in MyanmarWorldFish sampled 15 fermented-fish products in selected Myanmar areas in May 2023.
Sampled Ye gyo Ngapi varied by locality, fish species, rice additions, and processing accounts.
Microbial, histamine, and sodium findings apply to selected samples, not all ngapi.
Cited in: A varied product name; Geography and historical evidence; Taste and form; Allergens and safety
National Museum of Ethnology Research BulletinHistory · Geography
The Ecological Basis for Fish Fermentation in Freshwater Environments of Continental Southeast Asia, with Special Reference to Burma and KampucheaThe paper discusses varied Myanmar fish-fermentation traditions and cites early twentieth-century accounts for ngapi production and trade around Toungoo and Pegu.
These citations support historical associations, not a precise origin.
Cited in: Geography and historical evidence
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology / PubMedSafety
Diversity of the bacterial community in Myanmar traditional salted fish yegyo ngapiThe study examined Yangon-market yegyo ngapi samples and found halophilic lactic acid bacteria and other anaerobic genera.
The authors reported sequences similar to Clostridium botulinum in a clone library and called for closer surveillance; this does not show all ngapi is contaminated.
Cited in: Allergens and safety
WikipediaMethod · Uses · Safety
NgapiFermented, salted and ground fish or shrimp, then sun-dried; no quantities or duration; raw ngapi generally not for direct consumption; regional forms ngapi yay, ngapi daung, ngapi kyaw