Halophiles and fermented foods
Large amounts of salt are used in the preparation of
certain types of traditionally fermented foods. Such salty
food products are especially popular in the Far-East.
Examples are ‘jeotgal’, a traditional Korean fermented
seafood, the Japanese ‘fugunoko nukazuke’ prepared by
fermentation of salted puffer fish ovaries in rice bran,
and ‘nam-pla’, a Thai fish sauce. The latter product is
made by adding two parts of fish and one part of marine
salts. The mixture is covered with concentrated brine
(25–30% NaCl) and left to ferment for about a year.