TO BOIL OR NOT TO BOIL? - DILLEMA OF FISH SAUCE (BUDU) FERMENTATION

One of the most favorite traditional food condiments in Malaysia especially in Kelantan is the use of budu. Budu is a form of fermented fish sauce which is derived by the fermentation of fish such as anchovies.
Similar fish fermentation products are to be found in many Asian countries. Differences might be in the type of fishes they used as the fermentation substrate or conditions of the fermentation
The end products of the fish fermentation is the fish sauce which are popularly used to add taste to cooking or even as dipping sauce
In budu fish sauce fermentation it is more considered a protein fermentation rather than a carbohydrate fermentation. Thus the type of fermentation end products differs.
Whatever the fermentation products is it is very important that the characteristics or the taste and smell of the fermentation products be preserved or sustained
I find it strange in the case of budu fermentation that at the end of the fermentation process when the rich supernatant is obtained, it is subjected to high boiling temperature
Now, heating is important in any fermentation process. Its application can be positive or negative depending on purpose, when and where and the exposure of the heat. The use of improper heating might for all defeat the purpose or the characteristics of the fermentation products.
We all know in general fermentation products are volatile and short chain carbon compounds. Applying heat in an inefficient way could result in the loss of aroma and flavours of the fermentation products. So we might get just a rich salty broth which is nutritionally not good but ideal for raising your high blood pressure!
The question now is whether it is really necessary to boil the fish sauce and if so what are the best alternatives of applying the heat with minimum damage to the fish sauce?



Type rest of the post here. Read more!

TRADITIONAL FERMENTATION DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN USING TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Diversity of fermentation products has always been the hall mark of Malaysian culture. Almost everywhere we go we are exposed to various types of fermentation food and beverages. In part such diversity is the result of the input and fusion of various races and cultures into what is constitute as Malaysians. This fermentation diversity is enhanced by the diversity of substrates available for fermentation and the variations in the fermentation process carried out by the various races.
However, one of the weakest links in the production of these traditional food and beverages is the reluctance to use modern fermentation technology for a more efficient fermentation which will be more viable in terms of economics and production. Time and traditional methods seems to be the restricting barriers to produce fermentation products on an industrial scale. The archaic taboos of the do’s and don’ts seem to be still having its grip on traditional fermentation.
Connoisseurs even swear that the fermentation products produced traditionally is far better than those that are produced in modern fermentation vats! Is there truth in such allegations? It is possible that modern fermentation is enriched by processes that takes a longer time to mature and produced the bouquet. In the haste of producing fermentation products in the shortest time possible this aspect of the problem is not fully appreciated!
More understanding of the process biochemistry and how to manipulate it needs to be carried out further
Of course this situation is not applicable to all fermentation products. Perhaps the solution to this problem is to integrate traditional fermentation with modern science of fermentation technology in order to achieve the best solution
Modern soy sauce manufacturer such as Kikkoman of Japan has successfully applied this marriage of convenience between traditional fermentation and modern fermentation technology
Let us face it, sooner or later the traditional fermentation will have to give way to modern fermentation technology. The days of the earthen vats and natural inocula will be replaced by shiny stainless steel fermentors and modern industrial strains.


Type rest of the post here. Read more!

PHAGE INFECTION OF FERMENTATION PROCESSES

Phages are basically viruses. Bacteria and virus are one of the most common and feared cause of fermentation contamination. Just like influenza which affect us humans, it’s caused by virus. The only problem is that when fermentors are affected by virus it does not exhibit the common symptoms of humans getting influenza. Fermentors do not have ‘ runny nose’ or sneeze! Hehe. Instead it will target the fermentative microorganisms and will affect the production of the fermentation products.
Virus being virus are sometimes not considered as living things. They appear with crystalline morphology but containing protein and nucleic acids. The trouble with virus or phages they rely on living cells such as bacteria to grow. Once infecting bacteria they will take over the metabolism of the host bacteria and will reproduce much more virus particles that will infect further. To make things worst these virus or phages attack only specific cells or strains. So if the phages targeted the fermentative microorganisms that are the end!
IMPACT OF PHAGES ON FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES
In the fermentation industries such occurrences could be a financial disaster as all those fermentation activities have to cease!
The problem with industrial fermentation using bacteria is that in general they involved high volume cultures of the bacteria or considered as high density cell fermentation. The release of phages into the fermentor could create massive infection.
According to Sinderen (2007) in his situation could result in massive product loss, raw material spoilage, non productive operation costs and plant shutdown for decontamination purposes
STEPS IN OVERCOMING PHAGE INFECTION OF FERMENTATION PROCESS
It is possible to deactivate or reduce the chances of phages contamination. But with time there is always the risk and possibility of phage infection awaiting to occur at the slightest opportunity.
Broadly the few steps commonly taken in the control of phage infection in the fermentation industries include:
1 Maintenance of sterility or strong aseptic conditions and barriers at the level of the fermentor or its operation

2 Use of alternative cultures as phages are very strain specific or the use of mutants that are phage resistant
3 Use of physical and chemical agents that are phage inhibitors
4 Use of immobilized cells thus restricting the infection by phages






Type rest of the post here. Read more!

IS THERE SUCH THINGS AS ‘MALAYSIAN FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES ‘?

This is the question that has often come to the minds of many Malaysians. And many have been convinced that there are indigenous fermented foods which seem to be their propriety rights! The truth is fermentation process has always been universal where almost every country in the world has their own unique fermentation products to be proud of.
The truth is each country has its own local names in their own language to identify the fermentation products. That does not mean that they have their own ‘copyrights’ over the fermentation products.
It is sad that in one of the states in Malaysia, the people even claimed that the fish sauce or ‘budu’ is their own unique fermented food! If only these believers take the trouble to research or even google that the fish sauce is produced in many countries especially where they have rich resource of fish. The believers are simply too blinded and obsessed with the belief that the fermented fish sauce is their own discovery.
It can be seen that the issue here is not about fermentation but more about semantics
Analyses of the various fermentation industries in Malaysia we could categorise them in the following groups:
1 Traditional fermentation which are often fermentation industries carried out from generation to generation and are often at the scale of cottage industries
2 Large industrial fermentations characterized by high volume low value products such as alcoholic beverages manufactured by giant brewers from the west as foreign investments
3 Limited pharmaceutical fermentations carried under license of giant pharmaceutical companies
4 Medium fermentation industries producing soy sauce, yeasts and the like
The local universities here are still bogged down in the quagmire of doing ‘Mickey mouse’ level of fermentation such as laboratory scale research and isolating strains of potential microorganisms. How many of these works will end up profitably as successful fermentation projects is for us to all wait and see



Type rest of the post here. Read more!

PRODUCING CRYSTALS OF MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE

I still remember fondly the first time in the seventies when we were taken on a visit to a well known seasoning manufacturing plant in Kuala Lumpur. The field trip is part of our course for those taking the subject of applied microbiology. Though the Professor then or for the matter we the students do not know much of the fermentation process and the various steps involved from substrate to the final product, memories of the visit are still remembered with fondness and perhaps drives me to study in greater detail the field of fermentation technology.
One of the most interesting points of the visit is seeing and understanding the transformation of the fermentation broth at the end of the fermentation process to become the final end product. From the huge vats containing the dark brown fermentation broth removed from the fermentors it is transformed to beautiful shiny crystals of monosodium glutamate ready for packing and distribution.
This whole process was carried out during the downstream stages of the fermentation process.
Many questions entered my mind such as:
1 Why the need to produce the crystal forms of the sodium glutamate?
2 How is the process of crystallization carried out?
In the fermentation industries everything boils down to economics. Even though the process of producing MSG crystals would add cost to the downstream processing costs but at the same time there must be more economic or even marketing benefits derived from such exercise.
In any fermentation products water form the bulk of the product. The presence of high concentration of water will not only add bulk and weight to the product but it will add costs to its packaging and transportation.
The presence of water too will increase the probability of microbial contamination as water tends to encourage microbial growth and deterioration of the products
In its crystal forms, these problems are eliminated. It is concentrated in the form of crystal and will deliver the power of the seasoning. There is also the added marketing value of the product as the crystals look clean and appealing and its purity of the product is assured
The process of forming the crystals is in simplification a kind of chemical precipitation reactions.
It is based on the salt or ionic nature of the products. Adding the Sodium to the glutamate will further stabilize the product to undergo the various harsh downstream reactions. While it is true that the process of crystallization is based on the nucleation and crystal growth of the crystal from a super saturated solution as it cools down, it is of most importance that the solution of MSG from the fermentation broth must be purified so as to produce clear and beautiful crystals.
Various downstream methods are used to obtain this clear broth such as cell separations which include centrifugation and membrane separation. This is followed by various preparatory steps such as ion exchange resin treatment, chromatography and crystallization. And in the crystallization stage there is concentration, neutralization and cooling. Ultimately the final steps include centrifugation, decantation and filtration to obtain the crude crystals
The crystallization process are usually carried out using the crystallizer


Type rest of the post here. Read more!

FEEDBACK LOOP CONTROL IN FERMENTATION PROCESS

In any industrial fermentation process it is of utmost importance that the fermentation process is carried out under the most optimum conditions. This is translated into an efficient and economical fermentation process in terms of fermentation yield and economic advantages.
There is also the tendency to carry out the fermentation process with minimum labour costs and by going ‘computerised’ or robotic in allowing the process to be run almost independent of human input.
In view of these requirements there is the push towards automatism and letting the computer monitor and control the fermentation process by the use of feedback loops control and the use of sensors which can detect the changes in the various fermentation parameters and interfacing it with computer control.
Such advanced robotics require the use or design of special programmes which will detect the changes of parameters within the narrow windows of optimum fermentation.
This aspect of control rely strongly on feedback control and in line monitoring so that immediate action could be taken by the computers to immediately ratify or bring back the deviation back to within the narrow windows of optimum environmental conditions.
Thus we see in such control the use of feedback is more towards sustaining the constancy of the environmental conditions of the fermentation process and not directly the performance of the fermentative organisms. Any benefit from the process is secondary after the sustained control of the environment. You just cant control or interface directly with the microorganisms ( may be in future years????)
As it is now the problem of feedback loop in computerized fermentation control is not so much limited by the capability of the computers or computer programmes but more by the limitation of the sensors that are suitable for the interface as well as the harsh environmental conditions of the fermentors
Here in lies the problem too the two most common type of sensors used are restricted to the invasive probes or sensors which are introduced into the fermentors or by sensors set in flow through pipes
As we have said it many times before the fermentation process is a complex process in perpetual state of flux. Thus it is difficult to sustain constant efficient fermentation process as other parameters that cannot be controlled keeps changing. There is a goldmine of information in this field of control for those that are willing to take up the challenge!



Type rest of the post here. Read more!

THE GRAND OLD WOODEN PALACE- ISTANA LAMA SERI MENANTI

This picture is taken from: public-transport-devotees.blogspot.com




If you have the chance to visit Seri Menanti in Negri Sembilan, you will not only be amazed by that ‘One square mile’ where most of the Negri royalties stayed but you will be awed by the architectural wonder of the Istana Lama.
The Istana Lama or the Old Palace is a unique architectural landmark consisting of a four storey wooden building which was built without the use of any iron nails . Some even say that the Istana is the highest completely wooden structure building in the world!!
UNESCO has even given the recognition of the Istana Lama as one of the World’s Heritage sites in recognition of its unique architecture
LEGEND BEHIND THE NAME OF SERI MENANTI
As a child in the early fifties living in Seri Menanti, the Istana Lama is a common sight to greet us every morning. It is a sight to behold the majestic palace against the backdrop of the surrounding mountain ranges. In the cold morning air it is common to see white mists rising in the hills with the sound of animals forming the forest orchestra.
Legend has it when the area was chosen to be the site of governance; the visitors were awed by the sight of the golden shimmering padi in the fields and thus named the area as Seri Menanti or “Shining awaiting”.There are others who argued that the name of the valley is modification of the words ‘ padi menanti’
The Old Palace is one of the two palaces in the valley. The older palace being fondly referred to as the Istana Lama and the new palace called Istana Besar or Grand Palace. The two palaces are only short distance apart from each other.
FUNCTIONS OF ISTANA LAMA
In order to appreciate the architecture of the Istana Lama, you have to see it from different aspects of the building. The building itself is the integration of customs, culture and even the neo architecture of the period the palace was built.
Historically speaking the rulers of Negri Sembilan was invited from Pagar Ruyong in Indonesia where the people consisted mainly of Minangkabaus. The Minangkabaus were unique in the sense their architecture reflect strongly of the use of buffalo horns in their design. This is translated directly into the design of the Istana Lama which proudly exhibits this heritage by having roofs in in the design of buffalo horns. What better proof could be shown of the migration of the Minangkabaus to the state of Negri Sembilan?
In order to appreciate the building structure would require more than just pictures taken from cameras. You need to walk around in and surrounding compound to really appreciate it.
THE CHOICE OF SITE
Seri Menanti is a flat plain, right smack in the centre of a valley. The valley is generally surrounded by high hills on all sides except in certain areas which provide openings that connect with surrounding outside world.
Most of these royalties who built houses on the perimeter of the padang leading to the Old Palace hold important positions in the royalty household such as the Crown Princess, Tunku Besar and even the wives or mother of the king.
Against this backdrop of hills and mountains is the area where the Old Palace is built. The choice of site will provide a panoramic and commanding view of Seri Menanti.
Since the old palace was the tallest building then, it is possible to see the whole span of the valley. It is by no accident that the site was chosen. In fact it is interesting to note the ‘golden area surrounded are either owned by the palace or occupied by the royalty relatives.
The whole area surrounding the Seri Menanti palace was once abundant with padi that stretch as far as the eyes can see. A painting in the Istana depicted the scene of yesteryears of once what it was like.
THE DESIGN OF THE ISTANA LAMA
Looking at the Istana Lama will easily convince the visitors of the strong Minangkabau influence as shown by the Buffalo Horn roofs or gables. This is not surprising as Negri Sembilan royalties directly came from Pagar Ruyong in Indonesia
The design of the old palace is full of symbolism to the culture than. The incorporation of 99 pillars that represent the warriors of the past
THE ISTANA LAMA BUILDING
There are many facts and fictions or even legends tied with the building of the palace itself. All we are aware is that the building of the palace is under the direction of two ‘architects’ Kahar and Taib with the approval of the English Mr Woodford of JKR. It is said that the palace took a few years to build from 1902 to 1908
The Istana lama is a grand building four storey high. The uniqueness of the palace lies in the fact that it was built without the use of iron or metal nails. Instead the structure is held together by using wooden timber joints or wooden pegs or pasak.
Just like the Pyramids and Taj Mahal the building materials were sourced from the deep jungles kilometers away and slowly transported to the site using buffaloes. Many legends were associated with the transportation of the giant trees to the site of construction
So it is quite an architectural and constructional achievement to build buildings of that scale during that time.
FUNCTIONS OF ISTANA LAMA
For such a large and stately building, the Istana Lama holds many functions. As one goes from one floor to the next floor above, we see the transformation of the function of the palace from the first floor where the ruler has his attendance with the people and dignitaries, to the next floor which is reserved for the family of the royal house hold to the single room at the top where the state secrets and regalia are held
There are many stories and legends about what was kept in the single room at the top most floor!
Steep narrow wooden steps at the back leads from one floor to the next





Type rest of the post here. Read more!