Abstract:
This study was aimed to describe the method and process of traditional fish smoking in Riau Province of Indonesia and to determine the best species of wood among several species of wood commonly used as fuel and smoke source of fish smoking in the province. Survey on smoking catfish was carried in Kampar regency, as the area was becoming a center for the development of catfish (Pangasius hypopthalmus) farming and processing. Some species of wood that commonly used as smoking fuel were including Laban wood (Vitex pubescens), Modang Salawai wood (Cinnamomun porrectum), and Rambutan wood (Nephelium lappaceum). Results had shown that fish smoking in the province was applying direct hot smoking method. The best kind of wood was Laban wood (Vitex pubescens), and so, it became to be a characteristically species of wood for fuel and smoke source of fish smoking in Riau Province Indonesia. The smoked catfish yielded was the most preferred by consumers with the sensory value of 7.3 ± 0.2. The content of total phenols in smoked catfish using Laban wood as smoke source showed the highest content of total phenols (29.17 ± 0.87 ppm), content of total acid 1.42 ± 0.07 %, pH values 6.77 ± 0.08, water content 19.0 ± 1.8 and the value of Aw 0.68 ± 0.02
