Shrimp Paste Process

During our short trip to Balik Pulau, we actually stopped by to shrimp paste manufacturer while we were on the way back - The Oldman Trademark, is the name of the manufacturer. Most of us thought the shrimp paste is kinda smelly when they are under process but surprisingly when I stepped down my first step there, what I smelled is the heavenly fragrant that welcomed our visit that noon. It was a great experience to be acknowledged about how the shrimp paste is made. According to the manufacturer, if the shrimp paste smells terrible, it is not fresh or something has went wrong during its process. Well, I do not know anything about the processes so I nodded my head in agree of what he said as in the shrimp pastes he produced were not smelly!


Basically, the shrimps were stirred and blended with a machine at which a 3 kilogram of shrimps were stirred and blended into only 1 kilogram of them. The process continues for a few times after stirring, blending, and drying to ensure that its quality of the shrimp paste produced is up-to-level.


The stirred and blended shrimp pastes were being accumulated in a pail before they were exposed under the sun to be dried up outside.


The shrimp pastes are then exposed under the sun for few hours to let them dry up. The repeating process continues until they are packed into a rectangular size of shrimp pastes that we consume and buy from the dealers and retailers in the market at a controlled posted price.