Bagoong (shrimp paste)

After dinner and shopping at the Gateway Mall last Saturday, we proceeded to Tiendesitas at the kids’ prodding. Despite the heat, and ventillation at Tiendesitas is just terrible, I didn’t object. I could buy the smoked bangus (milkfish) pate from the Sanctuario food stall which I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. My 12-year-old daughter prefers the smoked bangus pate over the tinapate from Connie’s Kitchen because the smoked bangus pate does not have a layer of fat on top that tinapate has.

So, we were walking around the delicacies section looking for the Sanctuario stall when I saw bottles with some strange-looking content. Okay, maybe a true-blue bagoong afficionado would have recognized at once that they were bagoong. But I don’t eat the stuff–I am allergic to it. I had to ask the salesgirl what they were. The first two bottles (from left) are bagoong dilis. The dilis (small, anchovy-like fish) were not ground but fermented whole. The next two bottles are bagoong guinumis, also made from fish. The bagoong in the last bottle came as a surprise–made from tahong (mussels). Wow, I know there are numerous varieties of bagoong in the market but bagoong made from mussels was new to me.

But let’s get a little more specific about what bagoong is. We know it as bagoong but, under different names, it is an important condiment and ingredient in most Southeast Asian countries and even in Hawaii and the Pacific. The most common English name for bagoong is shrimp paste probably because the earliest and traditional bagoong is made from alamang or tiny shrimps. In Thailand, it is known as gkapbi.

Here is something from Wikipedia:

Shrimp pastes vary in appearance from pale liquid sauces to solid chocolate-colored blocks. Shrimp paste produced in Hong Kong and Vietnam is typically a light pinkish gray while the type used for Thai cooking is darker brown. While all shrimp paste has a notoriously pungent odor, higher grades can have a more pleasant aroma. Markets near villages producing shrimp paste are the best places to obtain the highest quality product. Shrimp paste is used differently in different Asian cultures and can vary in aroma, texture and saltiness. Therefore, the correct shrimp paste should be chosen for the food being prepared.

Belacan

Belacan, a Malay variety of shrimp paste, is prepared from fresh tiny shrimp of a species known as geragau in Malay. These are mashed into a paste and buried for several months. The fermented shrimp are then dug up, fried and hard-pressed into cakes.

Belacan is used as an ingredient in many dishes, or eaten on its own with rice. A common preparation is sambal belacan, made by mixing belacan with chilli peppers, minced garlic, shallot paste and sugar.

The name belacan is possibly derived from Portuguese ‘balcao’ (also spelled ‘balichao’.

Terasi

Terasi, an Indonesian variety of dried shrimp paste, is usually purchased in dark blocks, but is also sometimes sold ground. Before being added to food, it is often toasted over fire. It is an important ingredient in Sambal Terasi.

Bagoong Alamang/Aramang

Bagoong Alamang is Filipino shrimp paste, made from minute shrimp, krill or fish and is commonly eaten as a topping on green mangos. Bagoong paste varies in appearance, flavor, and spiciness depending on the type. Some types are pink and salty while others brown and sweet. A small amount of bagoong is served on the side of a popular dish called “Kare-kare”. It can also be sauteed with pork to make a dish called “Binagoongan”.

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