Also known as shrimp sauce, is a soft, thick paste made from shrimps or prawns that have been salted and fermented in earthenware pots. It has a strong odor and taste and is used in cooking as well as condiment, particularly in the Philippines.
Shrimp paste or shrimp sauce, is a common ingredient used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisine. It is known as terasi (also spelled trassi, terasie) in Indonesian, kapi in Thai, belacan (also spelled belachan, blachang, balachong) in Malay, and bagoong alamang/aramang in Filipino. It is made from fermented ground shrimp. To Westerners- and even Asians- unfamiliar or unappreciative with shrimp paste the smell can be extremely repulsive; however, it is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Shrimp paste can be found in most meals in Thailand and Malaysia often as an ingredient in dipping sauce for fish or vegetables.
