Sambal Bakasang: Fermented Fish, Chili and Citrus in One Small Bowl
A spoonful of ready-made bakasang for deep, salty savor, red chilies and shallots for bite, tomato for juiciness, jeruk limo for a bright citrus lift, and flakes of smoked skipjack folded through at the end. It is a condiment, not a main dish: a little goes a long way.
On a Manado table, a small bowl of red, coarsely pounded sambal sits beside grilled fish or a bowl of tinutuan, a porridge served in Manado. Indonesia's public broadcaster RRI describes dabu-dabu bakasang as a fiery Manado sambal served with dishes like these, and as a flavor that brings back the taste of home for people from the region.
What gives this sambal its character is bakasang (also written bekasang), a fermented fish seasoning from North Sulawesi and North Maluku. This article is not about making that fermented seasoning. It is about using ready-made, commercially produced bakasang to make a sambal: you pound it with shallots, red chilies, tomato, ginger and salt, brighten it with jeruk limo juice, and fold in smoked skipjack. Nothing is cooked.
This recipe has not yet been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan, and the yield has not been measured, so no serving count is given. For more dishes from across the archipelago, see our Indonesia page.
What Is Bakasang?
Bakasang is a documented Indonesian fermented fish product. Research from IPB University describes it as a traditional product of North Maluku, and a thesis held in the IPB University repository describes the North Sulawesi product as made from small fish or from the viscera of larger fish, salted before fermentation. Depending on the maker, the base can be skipjack viscera, fish roe or small fish, and the sampled products in that research showed a range of sensory notes. In other words, there is no single "standard" bakasang, and two jars can taste quite different.
Both spellings, bakasang and bekasang, are in use. Where the name comes from, and when the seasoning first appeared, could not be confirmed, so this article does not offer an origin story.
The US Food and Drug Administration explains that histamine can build up in fish such as tuna and mackerel when they are mishandled, and that once it has formed, it is not removed by cooking, freezing, smoking, curing or canning. Fermentation conditions for bakasang also differ widely across the research literature: one IPB University study, for example, used 25% salt and observed samples over 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days, which are research conditions, not a home method. For these reasons, this article does not give a home fermentation method using fish viscera. Use a finished commercial product, read its label, and follow the handling and storage directions printed on it. Do not judge whether it is safe by smell or appearance alone.
About this version
The amounts and method here follow the Sambal Bakasang recipe published on Budaya Indonesia, a community-submitted cultural site. That recipe's method mentions cabai rawit (bird's eye chili), but its ingredient list gives no amount for it, so it is left out here rather than guessed. The site gives no yield.
RRI's dabu-dabu bakasang description differs in one important way: it describes the finished bakasang being heated before it is mixed in. That is a separate version of the dish. This article follows the raw, pound-and-mix method only and does not combine the two.
Ingredients
Equipment
- A clean bowl for flaking the fish
- A mortar and pestle (a stone mortar works well)
- A spoon for mixing
- A serving bowl
Choosing and Substituting Ingredients
Bakasang. Buy a finished commercial product and check the ingredient list and handling directions on the label. Salt levels differ from product to product, which affects how salty the final sambal tastes. If you cannot find bakasang, fish sauce or an ordinary bottled sambal can stand in for part of the flavor only; the result is a different sambal, not sambal bakasang.
Smoked skipjack. Smoked skipjack or bonito sold elsewhere can work, but dryness and smokiness vary considerably, so expect a different texture and aroma.
Shallots. Red onion can replace them, but it carries more water and a different kind of sharpness.
Red chilies. Chili sizes vary, and the heat will vary with them.
Jeruk limo. This small Indonesian citrus has its own fragrance. Lime, or sudachi if you can get it, are workable stand-ins, but they will not give the same aroma.
Method
This is a raw sambal: there is no stove step. Work with clean hands, clean tools and a clean mortar from start to finish.
Serving It the Manado Way
RRI lists grilled fish, tinutuan, corn and fried bananas among the foods dabu-dabu bakasang is eaten with in Manado. Treat it as a condiment: put a small dish on the table and let each person add a little to their plate. Because the flavor is strong, it is easier to add more than to take it back.
For leftovers, there is no confirmed keeping time for this sambal, so none is given here. Make it close to when you will eat it, keep it covered and handle it hygienically, eat it soon, and store the opened bakasang exactly as its label directs.
Adjusting Salt, Aroma and Texture
The finished sambal should look like the photo above: coarse, glossy with citrus juice, with tomato, shallot, chili and fish fibers still distinguishable.
| What you notice | Likely reason | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Too salty | Your bakasang or smoked fish is saltier than expected | Next time, hold back some of the salt and add it at the end to taste. This is an untested adjustment, not part of the version above |
| Fermented aroma is overpowering | Products vary in strength | Serve a smaller amount alongside the food rather than changing the recipe |
| Paste-like and wet | Pounded too long | Pound more briefly so the pieces stay visible |
| Citrus aroma is weak or different | Lime or another citrus was used instead of jeruk limo | Accept it as a different aroma; the substitutes are not the same fruit |
Variations
- Milder heat: use fewer red chilies. The sambal becomes less fiery and the fish and citrus come forward. This is an untested change.
- Lime instead of jeruk limo: practical outside Indonesia, with a different citrus aroma.
- Without smoked skipjack: leaves a simpler bakasang sambal. This falls outside the version used here.
- Coarser or finer: change how long you pound to shift the texture.
- Different partners: instead of grilled fish, serve it with tinutuan or boiled corn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is bakasang the same as terasi?
This article's sources describe bakasang as a fermented fish product of North Maluku and North Sulawesi; they do not treat it as the same thing as terasi. Do not assume one can simply replace the other.
Can I use fish sauce instead of bakasang?
Fish sauce can supply some of the salty, savory fish flavor, but it is a substitute for only part of the taste. The result will be a different sambal.
How do I make it less spicy?
Use fewer red chilies. This version already leaves out cabai rawit, which the Budaya Indonesia method mentions without giving an amount.
Should the bakasang be heated first?
RRI describes a version in which the finished bakasang is heated before mixing. The version in this article follows the Budaya Indonesia recipe, which pounds and mixes everything raw. They are two different versions, so pick one rather than combining steps.
Can I make bakasang at home?
This article does not recommend it. Fermentation conditions vary widely across the research, and the FDA explains that histamine in fish such as tuna and mackerel is not removed by cooking, freezing, smoking, curing or canning once it has formed. Use a finished commercial bakasang and follow its label.
Who should avoid this sambal?
It is built on fish: bakasang and smoked skipjack. Anyone with a fish allergy should not eat it. Check the labels of commercial products for other allergens as well.
Sources
- Budaya Indonesia, "Sambal Bakasang." Community-submitted recipe used for the amounts (1 tbsp bakasang, 100 g smoked skipjack, 5 shallots, 1 tomato, 4 red chilies, 1 cm ginger, 1 tsp salt, juice of 1 jeruk limo) and the coarse pound-and-mix method; its method mentions rawit without an amount, and no yield is given. https://budaya-indonesia.org/Sambal-Bakasang
- LPP Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), "Dabu-Dabu Bakasang." Manado serving contexts, ingredient variation, and a version in which finished bakasang is heated before mixing. https://rri.co.id/manado/kuliner/1350270/dabu-dabu-bakasang-sambal-pedas-khas-manado-yang-menggugah-selera
- IPB University Journal, "Karakteristik Organoleptik Bakasang Jeroan Cakalang." Bakasang as a traditional North Maluku product; research conditions of 25% salt over 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days, which are not a home recipe. https://journal.ipb.ac.id/index.php/jgizipangan/article/view/4572
- IPB University Repository, "Sensory Flavor Profile of Bakasang." North Sulawesi bakasang made from small fish or larger fish viscera, salted before fermentation, with varied sensory notes among sampled products. https://repository.ipb.ac.id/handle/123456789/55347
- US Food and Drug Administration, "Scombrotoxin Poisoning and Decomposition." Histamine hazard in fish such as tuna and mackerel, and that histamine is not removed by cooking, freezing, smoking, curing or canning. https://www.fda.gov/food/seafood-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/scombrotoxin-poisoning-and-decomposition
- Journal of Agri-Food Science and Technology, "Trends in Indonesian Fermented Fish Research." Bakasang as a documented Indonesian fermented fish product, with food safety and microbiology as ongoing research topics. https://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/jafost/article/download/14582/6165/69840
