Khalpi is a snack based on pickled cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) which comes from Nepal. It is a food that is processed with added salt, mustard, and chili powder, then fermented at room temperature, for approximately 7 days. It is considered one of the wonder of Nepalese cuisine.
The khalpi is produced either using naturally present lactic acid bacteria or by adding bacteria such as L. plantarum, L. brevis, Leuconoctoc fallax, and S. cerevisiae (Tamang et al., 2005).
The cucumber is cut up and then dried for 2 days. It is placed in an airtight container and fermented for 3 to 5 days. It’s production mirrors that of Gundruk which is more widely produced in the Himalayan region and is a fermented cabbage/brassica product. It is also related to sinki and inziangsang in the type of lactic acid fermentation tried.
References
Tamang, J. P., Tamang, B., Schillinger, U., Franz, C. M., Gores, M., & Holzapfel, W. H. (2005). Identification of predominant lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditionally fermented vegetable products of the Eastern Himalayas. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 105(3), pp. 347-356 (Article).
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