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Fermentation Atlas

Meat from Vietnam

Nem chuanem chua

Raw lean pork is ground fine, mixed with strips of boiled pork rind, roasted rice powder, sugar, salt, garlic and spices, then shaped into small rolls wrapped in guava or star gooseberry leaves and banana leaf. The rolls sour at room temperature for two to four days and are eaten raw. Made in 3 steps over 2 days – 4 days. The longest step, ferment at room temperature, takes 2–4 days (Phan Y.T.N 2017). Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Companilactobacillus farciminis do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2–4 daysReported[phan2017][pilasombut2015]Ferment at room temperature
AciditypH 4.9Measured[phan2017]Ferment at room temperature
Fully documentedMeat2 days – 4 daysMore meatMore from Vietnam

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceShares of the mix as given in a study of nem chua from central Vietnam; salt and sugar amounts vary by maker and are not fixed.
55–60 %Finely ground raw lean pork[phan2017]
30–35 %Boiled pork rind, sliced into strings[phan2017][pilasombut2015]
Ground roasted rice, sugar, salt, garlic and spices[phan2017][pilasombut2015]
Guava (Psidium guajava) or star gooseberry leaves, then banana leaf[phan2017][pilasombut2015]
Starterspontaneous

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 days – 4 days

Start
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What changes: Raw lean pork is ground fine and mixed with boiled rind, rice powder and seasoning

Step 1 of 3
Grind raw lean pork and mix with rind and seasoning
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
L. plantarum
C. farciminis
Leuconostoc citreum
Pediococcus pentosaceus

Output: sticky meat paste with strands of rind.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Nem chua is a small raw pork roll soured in leaf wrappers for only a few days, with boiled pork rind and roasted rice powder in the mix. It is not dried or smoked, unlike most European fermented sausages.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Nem ngọtLighter fermentation, sweeter.
  • Tré (central Vietnam)Made with cooked pork, including ear and nose; less lactic acid and more acetic acid than nem chua.

Safety

Nem chua is eaten raw after only a few days of souring. In a survey of three Hanoi makers, the raw pork was the main source of S. aureus and E. coli, and natural fermentation did little to reduce these pathogens; only C. perfringens fell.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli carried in by the raw pork; Bacillus cereus added during handling, mixing and packing.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Nem chua is linked above all with Thanh Hóa province.

  1. [phan2017] Phan Y.T.N., Tang M.T., Tran T.T.M. et al. 2017, Diversity of lactic acid bacteria in vegetable-based and meat-based fermented foods produced in the central region of Vietnam, AIMS Microbiology 3(1):61paper
  2. [nguyen2013] Nguyen D.T.L., Van Hoorde K., Cnockaert M. et al. 2013, A culture-dependent and -independent approach for the identification of lactic acid bacteria associated with the production of nem chua, a Vietnamese fermented meat product, Food Research Internationalpaper
  3. [nguyen2010] Nguyen H.T., Elegado F.B., Librojo-Basilio N.T. et al. 2010, Isolation and characterisation of selected lactic acid bacteria for improved processing of nem chua, Beneficial Microbespaper
  4. [pilasombut2015] Pilasombut K., Rumjuankiat K., Ngamyeesoon N., Duy L.N.D. 2015, In vitro characterization of bacteriocin produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from nem chua, Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources 35(4):473paper
  5. [do2014] Do T.T.L., Vu N.T., Phan-Thi H. et al. 2014, Traditional fermented sausage nem chua as a source of yeast biocatalysts efficient for the production of the aroma compound γ-decalactone, International Journal of Food Science and Technologypaper
  6. [mai2012] Lê Thanh Mai, Đỗ Thị Nhung, Lê Mai Hương et al. 2012, Khảo sát an toàn vệ sinh sản xuất nem chua ở Hà Nội (hygiene and safety of nem chua production in Hanoi), Tạp chí Khoa học và Công nghệ 50(2)paper
  7. [wp] Wikipedia, Nem chua (outline only)wiki