Boiled fish, or more precisely salt-boiled fish, is fish boiled with salt and thus preserved for later consumption.^[1] Although this method is used in other parts of the world, it is of major commercial significance only in Southeast Asia. The shelf life of products so treated can range from as little as one or two days, up to several months. In Indonesia, this fish preservation method is known as pindang.^[1]

The technique works to preserve fish through both exposure to high temperatures and salting — the high temperature of boiling water kills microbes that might otherwise decompose the fish flesh while the application of salt directly promotes preservation.

This technique is especially prevalent in the tropics during monsoon season, since the torrential rains hinder the simpler and traditional salting and sun-drying method of preservation. This salted fish method is considered 'dry preservation', while the Pindang method is often called 'wet preservation'.

After being covered in coarse salt, the fish are boiled on a low flame until the liquids are evaporated and the salt seasoning is well absorbed into fish.^[2] The wet boiling method requires less salt than dry preservation, and thus the taste is not as salty as that of sun-dried salted fish.

Although the basic ingredients often involve only fish, water, and salt, other ingredients, especially spices or herbs that contains tannin, can be added to boost preservation effectiveness.^[3] Examples of sources of tannin used include turmeric, tamarind, shallot skin, teak leaves, guava leaves, tea, and soy sauce, as well as other spices common in Southeast Asia. Including tannins gives the food a yellowish to brown color and fish so treated will last longer than fish preserved via the plain boiled method.

In Indonesia, various boiled fish products are generally known as pindang,^[1] and the method of preparation is often described as 'Indonesian salt-boiled fish'.^[4]

• Cured fish
• Fish processing
• Fish preservation
• Salted fish
• Salted squid
• Dried shrimp
• Brining
• Food portal

v t e Seafood
Fish	Anchovy Barramundi Billfish Carp Catfish Cod Eel Flatfish Flounder Herring Mackerel Salmon Sardine Shark Sturgeon Swordfish Tilapia Trout Tuna Whitebait
Shellfish	Abalone Cockles Conch Crab Crayfish Geoduck Krill Lobster Mussels Oysters Prawn/Shrimp Scallops Sea urchins Crustaceans Molluscs
Other seafood	Jellyfish Marine mammals Whale Octopus Sea cucumber Seaweed Squid Algae List of seafoods more...
Processed seafood	Caviar Dried fish Canned fish Cod liver oil Cured fish Fermented fish Fish fillet Fish head Fish oil Fish sauce Fish paste Fish steak Fish stock Lutefisk Salted fish Salted squid Shark liver oil Shrimp paste Smoked fish Stockfish Surimi Roe more...
Seafood dishes	List of seafood dishes List of crab dishes List of fish dishes List of raw fish dishes List of tuna dishes Bisque Chowder Fish and chips Fish pie Fish soup Fried fish Seafood boil Shark fin soup Sushi more...
Health hazards	Ciguatera Fish diseases and parasites Mercury in fish Metagonimiasis Scombroid food poisoning Shellfish poisoning
Advisory services	Seafood mislabelling Sustainable seafood Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification
Animal welfare	Declawing of crabs Eyestalk ablation Eating live seafood Live fish trade Pain in fish Pain in crustaceans Shark finning
Related topics	Fish preservation Fish processing Gathering seafood by hand History of seafood History of sushi List of seafood companies Pescetarianism Raw bar Salmon cannery Seafood restaurant
Food portal  Category: Seafood