Shrimp paste is made by grinding up salted, fermented shrimp and has a strong, salty, fishy flavor. I have never had it until I came to Canada (from most Cantonese restaurants). It is commonly used in South Asia cooking. Since I grow up in east china, I totally missed out many years of shrimp paste consumption. I have to make up for it from now on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrimp_paste
Shrimp Paste can be bought in most Asian market. The bottle (see pic) is a travel souvenir from Hong Kong. Tiny shrimps are sun dried and made into paste on some small Hong Kong islands. There are many brands you can choose in Toronto’s Asian supermarkets also.
In Cantonese restaurant, I always order Xia Jiang Tong Cai (Tong Cai – certain kind of veggie with hollow stem, See Pic). The dish is about $12. The strong shrimp paste adds lot of flavor to the blank vegetable. Tong Cai is in season during the summer about $ 1 per pound in china town. They sell 2 kinds: the darker green is soil-based and lighter one is water-based. I prefer the greener ones for better nutrients.
Since I love it so much I started cooking it at home with shrimp paste and garlic. There is no extra salt needed since the shrimp paste is already salty. The paste adds a very strong fishy flavor to the dish, not everyone will love it. After cooking the whole house smells fishy, therefore is not recommended if you don’t have good ventilation. Some people will think the smell is repulsive. Look at the bright side: if you don’t want someone come to your home, e.g. your mother-in-law, you can try to cook the shrimp paste.
I am interested to know how other counties use shrimp paste. Wait till my next trip to South Asia.
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