Shrimp Paste

Shrimp paste is a pungent, fermented condiment made by grinding whole shrimp or krill with salt and allowing the mixture to cure over weeks or months, producing a dense paste ranging from pink to deep brown-grey depending on the tradition. It is a foundational flavoring ingredient across Southeast Asian cooking, known by regional names such as belacan in Malaysia, terasi in Indonesia, kapi in Thailand and bagoong in the Philippines, and is typically toasted, fried or dissolved into sauces, curries and sambals rather than eaten raw. Its intensely savory, salty flavor comes from the same glutamate-rich fermentation process that produces fish sauce, and only a small amount is usually needed to season an entire dish.