Shrimp Pastes

The two main types of shrimp paste are belachen from Malaysia and fermented shrimp paste from Thailand. Belachen is used in Malay and Indonesian cooking and is central to Nyonya cooking. The dark belachen blocks are usually sliced, grilled and crumbled before adding to dishes. Thai shrimp paste is much softer and more fragrant and adds pungent flavour to curries and soups. Do not substitute one for the other as their flavours are very different. To make shrimp paste fragrant, wrap it in foil and grill for a few moments; if you want to be truly authentic, wrap it in a banana leaf.