Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Sauces, pastes & condiments · Pastes

Shrimp paste

Pungent fermented paste of salted ground shrimp or krill, used in small amounts in South-East Asian curries and sambals.

Also called: belacan, belachan, terasi, kapi, bagoong alamang, mắm tôm, ngapi

Around the world: belacan (ms) · terasi (id) · kapi (th) · bagoong alamang (tl)

30 recipes with it

What it is

Tiny shrimp or krill are salted, ground and fermented, then sold as a soft wet paste (Thai kapi, Filipino bagoong, Vietnamese mắm tôm) or a hard dried block (Malaysian belacan, Indonesian terasi). It smells very strongly but melts into deep savoury flavour. Blocks are usually toasted before use.

How it’s used

  • Sambal belacan and nasi lemak sambal
  • Thai curry pastes
  • Stir-fried kangkung (water spinach)
  • Dipping sauces and relishes (nam prik)
  • Filipino kare-kare accompaniment (bagoong)

Characteristics

Taste
Intensely salty, savoury and funky.
Aroma
Very pungent; toasting releases strong smells, so ventilate.
Texture
Soft paste or firm, crumbly block.
Appearance
Pinkish-purple to dark brown.
When cooked
Toast or fry briefly to deepen and round out the flavour.
Sold as
paste, fermented, dried
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked

Storage

Refrigerated. Wrap tightly and keep in an airtight jar; refrigerate soft pastes. Blocks keep for months.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Crustaceans.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains crustaceans (shrimp/krill); some contain fish. Very high in salt. Toast it thoroughly before eating raw in sambals.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
53 kcal
Protein
7.59 g
Carbohydrate
5.46 g
Fat
0.015 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
5.46 g

USDA FoodData Central: Sauce, fish, ready-to-serve × 1.5 (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Fish sauce — Use a splash; much milder.
  • Miso — With a little seaweed for a vegan option; not as funky.

Related ingredients

Recipes with shrimp paste

See all 30

18 more

More pastes