Burmese Curry – Ngapi

In Burmese cuisine, ngapi is a pungent paste made from either fish or shrimp. Ngapi is typically made by fermenting salted and ground fish or shrimp before drying. It can be distinguished from cheese by the main ingredient and region of origin. The type of fish used to make ngapi can be distinguished.

Ngapi can be made from whole fish (like ngapi kaung), small fish (hmyin ngapi), or prawns (hmyin ngapi) (seinza ngapi). Ngapi is a staple of Lower Burmese cuisine, appearing in almost every dish as a condiment or additive. With a few exceptions, raw ngapi is not intended for direct consumption. Fermented seafood pastes, such as Malay belacan and Thai kapi and pla ra, Lao padaek, and Khmer prahok, are common in Southeast Asian cuisines.

If you visit a traditional Myanmar restaurant or booth, you should expect more than just a meal; you should expect a cooking demonstration.

Curry is the most important element in Burmese cuisine, as its name suggests, but once you've decided on one – usually a meaty curry with a little oil on pork, fish, shrimp, beef, or lamb – it's clear that endless additional dishes will follow.