Can this shrimp paste be used to make kimchi?
I live in a rural area of Canada, asian markets aren't a thing around here. Since there isn't much good kimchi around, I decided to try myself !
I went to a largeish city a few weeks ago and was able to get this shrimp paste:
https://i.imgur.com/AEnHi0L.png
When doing my research, the product called for usually looks like this:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yM6LLHJvt7I/UaqrTVVvZHI/AAAAAAAABtI/QwYdgP-5xEQ/s1600/rhubarb-4357.jpg
In the kimchi recipes I found, the shrimps are like the product above, whole and pink. However the product I bought is pasty/ground and grey. It is also Vietnamese rather than korean.
I cannot find the korean salted shrimps anywhere sadly, but this looked like a reasonable substitute to me. Would anybody with any kimchi-making experience knows if that shrimp paste would be suitable?
Best Answer
You don't need the shrimp paste to make kimchee. I don't think you would notice the difference if you left it out. Better to leave it out than use the paste you bought, which has a very strong and distinctive flavor.
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Quick Answer about "Can this shrimp paste be used to make kimchi?"
Recipe Notes Seafood flavor and vegetarian alternatives: Seafood gives kimchi an umami flavor. Different regions and families may use fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, oysters, and other seafood. Use about 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, or a combination of the two.Can you use fermented shrimp paste in kimchi?
A variety of salted and fermented seafood (jeotgal) is used in Korean cuisine, and salted fermented shrimp is a common and versatile ingredient. It has a deep flavor, so it's used to season many Korean dishes in place of salt. Many Koreans include salted fermented shrimp in their kimchi paste when making kimchi.Can I use shrimp sauce for kimchi?
Both Vietnamese salted shrimp paste sauce and dried shrimp can be substituted for salted shrimp. When using dried shrimp in your kimchi seasoning paste, first grind them in a spice grinder.Is shrimp paste the same as fermented shrimp?
Shrimp paste contains ground-up fermented shrimp and salt. It goes by a number of names, including prawn sauce, shrimp sauce, gapi, kapi, trassi or bagoong. Some imported shrimp pastes may have preservatives added as well, but most of the brands packaged and sold in North America contain only these two ingredients.Does kimchi have shrimp paste?
While the basic ingredients of kimchi, like cabbage, radish, and scallions, are vegetarian-friendly, often fish sauce or shrimp paste are added to the mixture to up the umami and saltiness of the final product.Saeu-jeot (새우젓) Korea salted-fermented shrimp /Saeu-jeot is Ingredient in kimchi and dipping pastes.
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Answer 2
I've made it without scallions and without shrimp/fish paste . And I used pickled sushi ginger instead of fresh ginger. It tasted just like the kimchi from the Korean grocer in the Strip District in Pittsburgh.
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