Fish paste is fish which has been chemically broken down by a fermentation process until it reaches the consistency of a soft creamy purée or paste. Alternatively it refers to cooked fish which has been physically broken down by pounding, grinding, pressing, mincing, blending, and/or sieving, until it reaches the consistency of paste. The term can be applied also to shellfish pastes, such as shrimp paste or crab paste.
Making fish paste in Cambodia
Image: Talangkajf
Image: Bagoong 1
Image: Garum Mosaik Pompeji
A food paste is a semi-liquid colloidal suspension, emulsion, or aggregation used in food preparation or eaten directly as a spread. Pastes are often highly spicy or aromatic, are often prepared well in advance of actual usage, and are often made into a preserve for future use. Common pastes are some fruit preserves, curry pastes, and nut pastes. Purées are food pastes made from already cooked ingredients.
Prepared shrimp paste with chilli, Thai lime leaves, sugar and water added.
Duxelles being cooked, which is eventually reduced into a paste
Shrimp paste from Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam
Erbswurst, a traditional instant pea soup from Germany, is a concentrated paste
