Some of the deepest, most savoury flavours in local cooking come from fermented pastes, ingredients that turn a simple stir fry or sambal into something with real backbone. If the pungent smell of these pastes has ever put you off, it is worth knowing that the aroma mellows into pure savouriness once cooked. This guide to fermented pastes Singapore kitchens depend on focuses on belacan and tau cheo, the two most important, with a look at their relatives, how to use and toast them, how to store them, and the allergen notes every cook should keep in mind.
Belacan, the shrimp paste
Belacan is a dense, firm block of fermented and dried shrimp, usually sold wrapped and pressed into a cake. It has a powerful, pungent smell that is completely normal and, in fact, a sign of the real thing. Do not be alarmed by it. Once toasted and cooked, that sharp aroma transforms into a deep, roasted, umami richness that underpins sambal belacan, nasi lemak chilli, and countless stir fries such as sambal kangkong.
Belacan is almost always toasted before use, which blooms its flavour and takes the raw edge off. To toast it, wrap a small piece in foil and dry fry it in a pan over low to medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side, or hold it over a low flame, until it is fragrant, dry and crumbly. It should smell roasted and nutty rather than raw. Be prepared for the strong smell while toasting; good ventilation helps. Once toasted, it crumbles easily and pounds smoothly into a chilli paste.
A little belacan goes a very long way, so use it sparingly and taste as you build a dish. It is intensely salty and savoury, so you will usually need less added salt.
Allergen note: belacan is made from shrimp, so it is a shellfish product. Anyone with a shellfish or seafood allergy must avoid it entirely, and dishes built on it such as sambal belacan and many local chilli pastes are not safe substitutes. Always check when cooking for guests.
Tau cheo, the fermented soybean paste
Tau cheo (also spelt taucheo or tau cheong) is a paste of fermented soybeans, salty and savoury with whole or partly mashed beans suspended in a brown liquid. It is milder and rounder than belacan, with a mellow, malty depth. It is the seasoning behind dishes such as tau cheo chicken, fish and prawns, hokkien style stir fries, and many braises, where it brings salt and a gentle fermented tang.
Taucu is a closely related fermented soybean paste, and the two names are often used interchangeably or for slightly different regional styles. Both are used in the same way. To use tau cheo, mash the beans lightly if you want a smoother sauce, or leave them whole for texture, and fry it briefly in oil with garlic to release its aroma before adding other ingredients. Because it is salty, add it gradually and adjust other seasoning accordingly.
Miso, the Japanese fermented soybean paste, sits in the same family and offers a useful point of reference: like tau cheo, it is a fermented soybean seasoning that adds savoury depth, though it is used differently and is generally smoother and sweeter. Miso is not a like for like swap in local dishes, but understanding it helps place tau cheo within the wider world of fermented soybean pastes.
Allergen note: tau cheo, taucu and miso are all soybean products, so they contain soy. Some fermented bean pastes are also processed alongside wheat, which matters for those avoiding gluten, so check the ingredient list if this is a concern.
Choosing, storing and using them well
When buying, look for pastes with a clean, characteristic smell and no signs of unexpected mould, off colours or a fizzing, spoiled aroma. The strong smell of belacan is normal; a sour, rotten or alcoholic off note is not. Fermented pastes are traditionally high in salt, which helps preserve them.
Storage is simple. Keep belacan tightly wrapped and sealed, ideally double wrapped, so its powerful smell does not spread through your kitchen or fridge. It keeps for a long time in a cool, dry place or the fridge. Tau cheo and other wet soybean pastes should be sealed and refrigerated after opening, and always use a clean, dry spoon to avoid introducing moisture or contaminants that cause spoilage. A thin layer of liquid or oil on top of a jar is normal; just stir it in.
The key techniques are toasting belacan and frying tau cheo in oil. Both steps bloom the paste and mellow its raw pungency into rounded savouriness. Treat these pastes as seasonings rather than main ingredients, and let their saltiness guide how much extra salt or soy you add.
You will find both pastes at wet markets, supermarkets and provision shops. Belacan is usually sold as a wrapped block or in smaller pressed cakes, while tau cheo comes in jars or tubs. Buy small quantities to begin with, since a little lasts a long time, and store them properly so they stay in good condition until the next time you cook. If you cook only occasionally, a single block of belacan and one jar of tau cheo can easily see you through many months of meals.
| Paste | Made from | Flavour | How to use | Allergen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belacan | Fermented shrimp | Pungent raw, deeply savoury cooked | Toast, then pound into sambal | Shellfish |
| Tau cheo | Fermented soybeans | Salty, malty, mellow | Fry in oil, add to stir fries and braises | Soy |
| Taucu | Fermented soybeans | Salty, savoury | As for tau cheo | Soy |
| Miso | Fermented soybeans | Savoury, smoother, sweeter | Dissolve into soups and marinades | Soy |
Fermented pastes are the quiet engines of local flavour. Once you get past the smell and learn to toast belacan and bloom tau cheo, you unlock a depth that no amount of salt alone can give. Just keep the allergen notes firmly in mind, store the pastes sealed, and use them with a light, tasting hand.
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