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Kokumi Substances in Thai-Fermented Freshwater Fish, “Pla-ra”

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Kokumi Substance as an Enhancer of Koku

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Abstract

Pla-ra, a semisolid/liquid fermented fish product, has been a stable ingredient for Thai cuisine since ancient times. It is made from three main ingredients (freshwater fish, salt, and carbohydrate sources). Lately, Pla-ra’s popularity has been growing and it has become one of Thailand’s industrial products. This chapter begins with an introduction to many Thai dishes where Pla-ra plays different roles in the dishes (i.e., protein source, flavoring agent and flavor enhancer) and the Pla-ra production process where intricate interactions between the raw materials and the 2-step fermentation process happen. In the first stage that lasts from 2 weeks to several months, unwanted microorganisms are inhibited and screened; meanwhile, desired microorganisms remain and flourish. The ratio of salt to fish (w/w) used in this stage depends on the size of the fish, and it ranges from 3:1 to 5:1. In the second stage, carbon source(s) is added to promote flavor development from the surviving halophilic bacteria. Roasted rice, rice bran, flour, and/or sugar are the most common carbon sources. After the introduction to Pla-ra production, the development of umami and koku in Pla-ra is explained. Besides providing saltiness to the dish, Pla-ra contains many taste- and flavor-enhancing substances (e.g., γ-glutamyl-peptides), especially those that provide richness, continuity, and mouthfulness to the dish. This section provides evidence about the additive effect of kokumi substances that influence the mouthfulness intensity of food and the subthreshold synergistic effect of kokumi substances in Pla-ra. Lastly, the Kokumi substance formation is discussed along with the role of bacterial diversity on kokumi substance creation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence in Natural Products, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand

    Preecha Phuwapraisirisan

  2. Program in Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Thailand, Bangkok

    Apiniharn Phewpan

  3. Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand

    Panita Ngamchuachit

  4. Nouveau Centric Co. Ltd., Suanluang, Bangkok, Thailand

    Kannapon Lopetcharat

  5. Research and Development Office, Betagro Group, Pathumthani, Thailand

    Chirapiphat Phraephaisarn

  6. Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany

    Corinna Dawid & Thomas Hofmann

  7. Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand

    Suwimon Keeratipibul

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  1. Preecha Phuwapraisirisan
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  2. Apiniharn Phewpan
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  3. Panita Ngamchuachit
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  4. Kannapon Lopetcharat
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  5. Chirapiphat Phraephaisarn
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  6. Corinna Dawid
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  7. Thomas Hofmann
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  8. Suwimon Keeratipibul
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Correspondence to Thomas Hofmann or Suwimon Keeratipibul .

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  1. Institute of Food Sciences & Technologies, A**omoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

    Motonaka Kuroda

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Phuwapraisirisan, P. et al. (2024). Kokumi Substances in Thai-Fermented Freshwater Fish, “Pla-ra”. In: Kuroda, M. (eds) Kokumi Substance as an Enhancer of Koku. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8303-2_6

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