Cover Raw food in Southeast Asia comes from a story of resourcefulness and perseverance, pictured is Laab from Laos, a salad made with fresh duck blood, topped with fresh herbs (Image: Migrationology)
Raw food in Southeast Asia comes from a story of resourcefulness and perseverance, pictured is Laab from Laos, a salad made with fresh duck blood, topped with fresh herbs (Image: Migrationology)
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Tendencies to associate raw dishes with a Southeast Asian climate might not be an obvious one to make, but the consumption of raw food has a rich cultural history on this edge of the world
The prominence of raw dishes, such as the likes of crudo, ceviche, and tartare have established commonplace in many kitchens across the world. When thinking of raw food, one might lean their associations more heavily towards the Spaniards, Italians, and of course, the Japanese.
It might be a natural assumption to stray away from raw food with our tropical climate, but the consumption of raw food dates back decades, and has a rich history behind them.
The characteristics of these raw dishes might be defined by many factors—by either the protein used, or the sauce or garnish they’re tossed in. With many varying recipes with origins from across nations, they’re usually not confined by a single, defined recipe. Highly regional, and representative of the hyperlocal flora and fauna that influence each component of the dish. Reflecting not only the creativity, but resourcefulness of any kitchen, which is the essence of many Southeast Asian kitchens.
Many flavours of these recipes overlap, hitting the legendary flavour quartet that is sweet, salty, spicy, and salty; a commonality across many iconic Southeast Asian dishes. Although there are many nuances with every recipe, here’s a round up of some of the raw dishes across the region that you may or may not have heard of before.
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Hinava, Sabah
Above Hinava (Image: Ajinomoto)
Hinava (Image: Ajinomoto)
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A traditional native dish of the Kadazan-Dusun people in Sabah, and recognised as a national heritage dish by Malaysia’s Department of National Heritage. Carrying a lot of history in the way food was consumed, this dish is very emblematic of the resourcefulness of the Kadazan-Dusun people – with minimal prep and ingredients, it presented itself as a way to quickly consume seafood in a tropical climate. Although it can be made with other seafood, you will most likely find it prepared with fish, likely tenggiri, or mackerel. Tossed in a variation or mixture of chillies, ginger, shallots, bitter gourd, bambangan seed (wild mango), and lime or calamansi juice, it’s often enjoyed as an appetiser, but also commonly enjoyed served with rice. The bambangan seed gives it a distinctive earthy flavour.
Umai, Sarawak
Above Umai from ChoCha Foodstore (Image: ChoCha Foodstore)
Umai from ChoCha Foodstore (Image: ChoCha Foodstore)
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Similar to hinava, Sarawakians have their own version called Umai, which has also been recognised as a national heritage dish. The main difference between the two is the use of sugar in the Sarawakian method of preparation, giving it a little hint of sweetness. With roots from the Melanau people, it was usually eaten by fishermen and made out of raw or sometimes smoked fish, commonly ikan pirang, with onions, chillies, vinegar, salt, lime or calamansi juice, and sugar. Other variations include turmeric leaf, shrimp paste, or asam paya (or asam kelubi).
Kinilaw, Philippines
Meaning “eaten raw”, the name also refers to both the dish as well as a cooking technique – a lightly sweet, tart, and tangy raw seafood appetizer. With vinegar as its primary denaturing agent, it is distilled from the region’s tropical flora. Coconut vinegar is a familiar component used, that’s created from coconut nectar, or palm vinegar. In the central areas of Visayas and Mindanao, tabon-tabon and coconut milk are additional elements incorporated. As one of the oldest recorded cooking methods in the Philippines, there is no proper recipe, with every recipe varying across the regions. Commonly made with fish, mackerels or swordfish, you can find it paired alongside a slew of other accompanying ingredients such as calamansi, star fruit, mangoes, and bilimbi.
Nem Chua, Vietnam
Above Nem chua (Image: Vicky Phan)
Above The texture of nem chua after it has been fermented (Image: Vicky Phan)
Nem chua (Image: Vicky Phan)
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A raw, fermented pork or beef dish that features chillies, thin strips of gelatinous pork skin, coriander, and garlic. This beloved type of Vietnamese cured meat is made from raw protein that is fermented alongside different spices and herbs, resulting in a flavour that hits every taste profile – acidity from the fermentation process; subtitle sweetness from sugar or banana leaves; bold pungent flavours from garlic; florality from the chillies and black or white pepper. Sometimes wrapped in cling wrap, or in leaves from banana or guava trees, this dish transcends borders, edging into Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. Enjoyed on its own or eaten as a side, you’ll usually find a variation of this with naem or nam as an indicator in the name.
Goong Che Nam Pla, Thailand
Above Goong che nam pla, succulent prawns in a bright dressing (Image: @ruenhk)
Goong che nam pla, succulent prawns in a bright dressing (Image: @ruenhk)
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Goong Che Nam Pla gives way to a refreshing salad made with raw shrimp soaked in a fragrant dressing made with Thai fish sauce (“nam pla”) with additional add-ins such as raw garlic, bittermelon, gourd, cilantro, and chillies. Some variations include lemongrass and mintleaves, and dipping the prawns into Nam Jim Talay, a garlic forward, fragrant, citrussy dressing that is used as an accoutrement to many seafood dishes in Thailand. In the same way that ceviche ‘cooks’ the seafood, the marination process is brief, with the acidity in the fish sauce and the lime juice creating an environment that is suitable for the process of denaturing the proteins.
Laab, Laos
Above This duck blood 'salad' is made with fresh duck blood, and topped with herbs (Image: Migrationology)
This duck blood 'salad' is made with fresh duck blood, and topped with herbs (Image: Migrationology)
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Also popular in Thailand, Laab is the bloodiest among the list. The name refers to the method of preparation, and it’s most commonly found made with beef, duck, or buffalo. A popular version found in Laos is made from duck, where raw or cooked pieces of duck are submerged in raw fresh blood, topped with a generous bunch of fresh herbs, peanuts, chillies, and crispy fried onions. The animal is usually drained when the blood is still warm, and the key of constant agitation of the blood is to prevent coagulation. Some additional add-ins can include the assertively bitter bile juice, lime juice, and fish sauce. This rich, herbal, crimson concoction is loved across the nation, and usually consumed with alcohol, stemming from an old belief that drinking alcohol with this dish would reduce the chances of contracting any blood borne diseases from the animal.
Many versions of the raw foods we see across Southeast Asia bear shared resemblances with their bordering counterparts, whereby it’s seafood forward, and usually ‘cooked’ with an acid. These cooking techniques are recorded as some of the oldest methods of the region. The question of whether the protein is ‘cooked’ with an acid is a semantic one; and likely an important aspect of that is what one might define as to cook. If the transfer of heat is a necessary premise in your argument, then you might not think this is ‘cooking’. In this instance, when an acid ‘cooks’ the fish, it is altering it chemically through the interaction of the acids with the protein strands, and they denature and coagulate. On the molecular level, something is changing, begging the question – to cook or not to cook?
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Keandra's expertise lies within writing deep dives into the culture and anthropology of food, sometimes with a philosophical twist. With a background in London's F&B consultancy scene, she's excited to be back in Kuala Lumpur to champion the local dining scene.
Reach her at keandra.hing@tatlerasia.com, @keandruh
