ABSTRACT
IN Asia and the Far East, rice is the most important staple food, while fish and fishery products are used widely as ingredients for the daily diet. Fish, in one form or another, is eaten almost every day. The poor eat fish more often than the rich do (Kreuzer, 1974; Floyd, 1985). Fishery products have been an important high-quality protein food in Asian diets. Like most Western coun tries, more than half of the fish and shellfish are consumed fresh and chilled. However, many popular traditional fishery products in Asian countries are cured, dried, fermented, and minced (Anon., 1984). Although those prod ucts are processed in a similar manner for each method, the flavor and taste are different in different regions. This is primarily because of the raw materi als and ingredients used, the method of preparation, and the culture differ ences from country to country. Typical Asian fishery products are discussed in detail.
