Brem is traditional

fermented food In food processing, fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms—yeasts or bacteria—under anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions. Fermentation usually implies that the action of microorgani ...

or fermented beverage from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. There are two types of brem, brem cake (solid) that is usually eaten as snack from Madiun and

Wonogiri Wonogiri Regency is a regency () in the southeastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. It covers an area of 1,822.36 km2, and its population was 928,904 at the 2010 Census and 1,096,138 at the 2020 Census. The capital and largest t ...

, and brem beverage (liquid) made of rice wine from Bali and

Nusa Tenggara The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up t ...

, but mostly known from Bali. Brem first appeared in Java around the year 1000, based on investigations regarding old Javanese inscriptions and literature.The appearance of Brem in Java and its surroundings
Brem as a beverage is consumed and holds important use in certain temple ceremonies of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

called Tetabuhan, as an offering beverage for ''Buto Kala'' (lit. Kala the Giant) in order to evoke harmony. Brem can be either white or red depending on the proportions of white and black glutinous rice used in production. As a liquid, brem's taste can range from very sweet to semi-sweet, yet acidic and contains alcohol with varying degree, usually from 5% to 14%. Brem cake is produced in two places, Wonogiri and Madiun. This kind of brem is believed by Indonesian consumers to be important for stimulating the

circulatory system The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

. It is also reported to prevent

dermatitis Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can ...

, most likely due to the presence of significant amounts of

B vitamin B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. Though these vitamins share similar names (B1, B2, B3, etc.), they are chemically distinct compounds that often coexist ...

s produced by the microorganisms used in its fermentation. This product is consumed as a snack and is not part of the daily family diet.

Production of brem

Fermented beverage

Liquid brem is made from a fermented mash of black/ white glutinous rice (known as ''Ketan'') using a dry-starter called '' Ragi tape''. Glutinous rice is soaked and drained, steamed for 1 hour, and then cooled down. The cooled rice is then inoculated with ''Ragi tape'' and amylolysis begins. A honey-like rice syrup settles in the bottom of the malting vessel. Following 3 days of conversion from rice starch to sugar, a

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...

culture is added and alcoholic fermentation begins. Alcoholic fermentation typically goes on for two weeks.

References

External links

Pictorial of brem production at Dewi Sri

{{Indonesian cuisine Fermented foods Rice wine Types of beer Indonesian snack foods Indonesian alcoholic drinks

Production of brem

Fermented beverage

See also

References

External links