Dried shrimp paste is a firm, faintly moist, pale-pink to dark-reddish-brown paste made from tiny brine shrimp (not the larger-size ones sold for eating). The shrimp are mixed with salt and allowed to ferment in earthenware crocks. The thick, fermented paste that forms as the shrimp are broken down by the salt is then ground up into a smoother paste and sun dried. The dried paste—which has the consistency of clay—is then shaped into small rectangular blocks or round cylinders, which are again sun dried.

Though it has a strong pungent smell and intensely “fishy” taste before it’s cooked, dried shrimp paste becomes a delicate seasoning that recedes quietly into the background of dishes. It is never eaten uncooked, nor is it used in quantity—usually no more than a teaspoon or two at most goes into dishes (with the exception of some sambals, which tend to call for a lot of it).

Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean cooks generally grill or sauté dried shrimp paste before they use it in flavoring pastes or sambals, which neutralizes its strong flavor. Cooks in Indonesia accomplish this by placing a thin wad of the paste onto a bamboo skewer and roasting it over an open flame until its entire surface is lightly charred. An equally effective method is to wrap the dried shrimp paste in a small piece of aluminum foil, press it down with the palm of your hand to form a disc, and place the parcel directly onto the heat source (a gas flame works best, but a burner is fine, though you’ll have to use higher heat). It’s an easy technique, as long as you’re careful not to burn the dried shrimp paste to a crisp—you just want to toast it.

Small blocks of dried shrimp paste, usually three- to four-inches long and weighing eight ounces, are widely available in Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, wrapped in paper or plastic and clearly labeled “belacan,” “belachan,” “trassi,” “terassi,” or some variation on these spellings. (Spelling can be maddeningly inconsistent on imported Asian ingredients!) The dried shrimp paste available to us in North America has usually been imported from Malaysia. Store it tightly wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to six months; its dryness and high salt content inhibit spoilage. In addition to keeping mine wrapped in plastic, I also place it in a plastic container to make sure its strong smell doesn’t penetrate my refrigerator. Do not freeze dried shrimp paste, which destroys its texture.

If you can’t find dried shrimp paste, the softer, moister Thai shrimp paste, gapi, which comes in small plastic containers clearly labeled “shrimp paste,” will do just fine. Grill it as you would dried shrimp paste. I’m often asked by students in the cooking classes that I teach whether or not Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce can be substituted. It can’t—fish sauce has entirely different flavor characteristics.