Thua nao (Shan: ထူဝ်ႇၼဝ်ႈ; Thai: ถั่วเน่า; lit.'rotten beans'), also known as pè bok (Burmese: ပဲပုပ်; lit.'rotten beans'), is a fermentedsoybean product used in Burmese and Thai cuisine, particularly by the Shan, Tai Lue, and Northern Thai peoples as a cooking ingredient or condiment.[1]Thua nao is created by fermenting cooked soybeans with naturally occurring microbes.[1]
In the fermentation process, soybeans are cleaned, washed, and soaked overnight.[1] The soybeans are then boiled until they are soft, and then transferred to a bamboo basket and wrapped with banana leaves, enabling spontaneous fermentation to occur.[1]Thua nao is fermented using an alkaline fermentation process, using Bacillus microbes.[1]
Thua nao is either cooked by steaming or roasting, or is further post-processed.[1] It is commonly used as a protein substitute.[1]Thua nao comes in two primary forms: fresh and dried.[1] The wet, fresh form, called pè ngapi (ပဲငါးပိ; lit.'bean ngapi') in Burmese, has a short shelf life.[1]
The dried form is typically sold in the form of sun-dried flat disks, called thua nao khaep (ထူဝ်ႇၼဝ်ႈၶႅပ်, ถั่วเน่าแข็บ) or pè bok bya (ပဲပုပ်ပြား).[2][3] The dried disks are roasted and eaten on their own, or ground into a powder and mixed with salads.[3]
Thua nao is commonly used in Shan, Tai Lue, and Northern Thai cuisine, similar to how ngapi and shrimp paste are used in Burmese and central Thai cuisine.[4][3]Thua nao moe (ถั่วเน่าเมอะ) is a Northern Thai dish consisting of fermented beans that are wrapped in banana leaves and grilled or steamed, before being stir-fried or mixed with a chili dip.[5] In Burmese cuisine, dried thua nao is fried and eaten as a condiment, used as a dry relish that includes oil, fried onions, and garlic, or tossed into a salad with onions and chilies.[6][7] It is also used to thicken soups and adds umami to vegetarian dishes.[8]
