Fish paste

With Pecks Anchovette and Redro fish paste discontinued, our food editor put a recipe to the test and shares the results.

This nostalgic-style spread is very affordable too.

Shrimp paste is a popular fermented condiment that’s traditionally used in Southeast Asian cooking. It adds a delicious umami flavor to dishes and is easy to source at large grocery stores and Southeast Asian specialty stores.

My mother-in-law is an expert in making fish paste. She learnt the techniques by watching her neighbour doing it since she was a child. I enjoyed eating those dishes she made using homemade fish paste but never put an effort to learn the techniques.

My mother-in-law is an expert in making fish paste. She learnt the techniques by watching her neighbour doing it since she was a child. I enjoyed eating those dishes she made using homemade fish paste but never put an effort to learn the techniques.

Salmon spread, salmon dip, a Polish fish spread, a smooth and soft paste, slightly fishy with a definite garlic and dill tinge. Delicious.

This homemade fish paste features the lovely flavour of Peck's Anchovette which is a beloved South African product (now sadly) discontinued

Friday is the day that we abstain from meat during lent (and you might know the reason behind it). I cooked Fried Tilapia for dinner last Friday and had some bagoong Balayan (fermented fish paste) on the side – it was a blast. I might have abstained from meat that day but I miserably failed on the fasting part.

This versatile recipe for Chinese fish paste can be used to make Homemade Chinese Fish Cakes or Chinese Fish Balls. The fresh fish is processed and mixed with starch, to produce a bouncy textured fish cake or fish ball.