Shrimp paste: different processing and microbial composition across Southeast Asia

Abstract

Among the indigenous fermented foods, shrimp paste has been traditionally consumed in Southeast Asia as a condiment to its delicacy and nutritional value. In addition, shrimp paste is added to main dishes to enhance the salty and umami taste. Shrimp paste is named differently in Southeast Asia countries and possesses varied processing methods and microbial composition. This paper aimed to review the production process and microbial composition of shrimp paste in various Southeast Asia countries: mam tom in Vietnam, kapi in Cambodia and Thailand, belacan in Malaysia, terasi in Indonesia, ngapi in Myanmar, and bagoong-alamang in Philippines. Generally, the shrimp paste is made by mixing the ground shrimp with salt at the beginning, followed by fermentation and drying process. Interestingly, some shrimp paste is made through multiple fermentation and drying process to obtain desired consistency. Lactic acid bacteria were identified in most of shrimp paste in Southeast Asia.