Refers usually to the enzymic liquefaction of fish, small crustaceans and squid to produce edible sauces or soft pastes particularly in Asian countries. In southeast Asia, these sauces are be made from salted fish in which bacterial action is inhibited by the salt but autolytic enzymic digestion takes place. Some products are mixed fermentations of fish and/or shellfish with vegetables or cereals by the use of lactic acid bacteria, moulds or yeasts.