Pla ra, a traditional Thai seasoning produced by fermenting fish with rice bran or roasted rice flour and salt in a closed container for at least six months, has been an indispensable ingredient and flavour enhancer for Thais, particularly in the Northeast. This smelly ingredient may be one of the oldest in Thai history as there are shreds of evidence such as in Du Royaume de Siam by Simon de La Loubère as well as the discovery of clay pots with fossilised fermented fish, indicating pla ra has been around in Isan culture for at least 6,000 years. Many consumers may shun it because of its unmis…

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