What to use instead of shrimp paste
Quick answer
The closest option is MSG, rated poor. MSG supplies the savouriness that shrimp paste’s free glutamate gives a spice paste and none of the fermented, marine depth. A curry paste made with it is savoury and thin — the commonest vegetarian stand-in, and an honest one only if the difference is acknowledged.
It will not do for: Sambal belacan, nam phrik kapi and binagoongan, where the shrimp paste is the dish; Anyone avoiding MSG.
All recorded options
Ranked by suitability. Ratios are given only where they are defensible, and always with their basis — by weight or by volume — because spice densities differ.
MSG
PoorMSG supplies the savouriness that shrimp paste’s free glutamate gives a spice paste and none of the fermented, marine depth. A curry paste made with it is savoury and thin — the commonest vegetarian stand-in, and an honest one only if the difference is acknowledged.
| Flavour | Aroma | Colour | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| partial | different | different | similar |
Works for
- Vegetarian versions of curry pastes and rempah
Does not work for
- Sambal belacan, nam phrik kapi and binagoongan, where the shrimp paste is the dish
- Anyone avoiding MSG