Shrimp paste

Shrimp paste is a dense, intensely aromatic paste made from tiny shrimp ground with salt and fermented. It has a deep brown to purplish colour, a concentrated umami flavour, salty depth, and a distinctive fishy aroma that mellows on cooking and rounds out a dish. Regional variants: Thai kapi, Malay belacan, Indonesian terasi, Vietnamese mắm tôm, and Filipino bagoong alamang. It is fundamental to Thai curry pastes, sambals, nam phrik, and the Vietnamese soup bún riêu. Before use it is usually briefly dry-toasted in a pan or wrapped in foil to fully develop its aroma. Use in small amounts, very salty, no extra salt needed.