More on Shellfish Products
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BurmaPazun Ngapi, Burmese shrimp paste, is said by some sources to be much like the Thai, but a little softer. Other sources say it's more like the Malaysian. Well, Burma is northwest of Thailand and shares a long border, so I'd say Thai- Northern shrimp paste is a good bet, lacking othere evidence.ChinaHom ha / Hay kohis used in southern coastal China for stir fries, with vegetables (particularly Ong Choy) and pork, but not a lot elsewhere in China. It is ground smooth, darker, more pungent, less shrimpy and saltier than most shrimp sauces but not so dark and salty as the Malaysian. The photo sample is Koon Chun brand, made in Hong Kong and widely available in Southern California.IndonesiaTerasiis made similar to Belacan (and may even be labeled "Belacan") but varies buy region of manufacture as to exact composition. Color ranges from reddish-purple to dark brown and it may be made of a mixture of shrimp, fish and vegetables. It is pressed into blocks, and as with Belacan it is roasted before use. It is also sometimes available as pre-roasted slices individually wrapped, as in the photo.The best way to roast is in a dry pan, crumbling it as it roasts. many
recipes say to wrap it in foil and hold over a burner flame until aromatic,
which smells up the kitchen less. Appartment dwellers sometimes resort to
roasting it in the oven, because ovens generally vent to the outdoors.
This product can be kept at room temperature for many months if tightly
wrapped and kept dry. You'll want it tightly wrapped in any case to confine
the distinctive odor. It's best kept in a tightly capped jar.
KoreaSaeujeotis an important ingredient in Korean cuisine, these shrimp are whole and very salty but only mildly fermented so they have very much less flavor (and aroma) than the similar looking Malaysian Cincalok. Saeujeot is used as a general condiment and seasoning, sometimes in place of plain salt, and particularly in kimchi.Malaysia & Singapore
PhilippinesBagoong Alamang(also spelled Bagoong Aramang) is tiny shrimp or krill salted, fermented dried and crushed into a paste. The pink version is as fermented, but the color may vary because it is colored with Red Dye #3, sometimes more than excessively. To be honest, the bright pink versions dye food such a horrid unappetizing color I recommend using the brown fried version, or a shrimp paste from some other culture. It is used as an ingredient and as a table condiment.Bagoong Guisado / Ginisang Bagoongis the brown version. It is Bagoong Alamang that has been mixed with other ingredients, typically Oil, Vinegar, Sugar, Onion and/or Garlic, and then fried. Available in Regular, Sweet and Spicy versions, it is used as an ingredient and as a table condiment.Thailand
VegetarianProbably the best solution, often called Shan Gapi (Shan Srimp Paste), is Shan Tua Nao - Soybean Paste, Disks, (Burmese), which is easy to make. You can use Thai Yellow Bean Sauce which is easily available and made of fermented soybeans and salt. Chinese Fermented Black Beans can be crushed to a paste and used. VietnamMam Ruoc / Mam Tomis made similarly to Thai Kapi, but the process is a bit more complex and it ends up much darker and a more purple color. It's generally ground smooth and packed in jars or small tubs. Mam tom is the name in North Vietnam, Mam ruoc in Central and South Vietnam. The photo sample is made by Gia Minh in Saigon (yes I know it's Ho Chi Minh City now, but, like Leningrad, that will pass. |