Foodstuff: Yeo Brand Minced Prawns in Spices – Sybaritica

I first came across this product at a little store called ‘Friendly’s Grocery’ in Fredericton, New Brunswick, almost thirty years ago and I loved it the very first time I tasted it. It is not always easy to find and I have gone for several years at a time without seeing it anywhere. When I came across it in a store in Ottawa’s Chinatown on a recent visit I naturally bought every can they had.

The product is essentially a paste made with dried shrimp and chili and peanuts and I have always used it as condiment. It is a product of Singapore and, since very few people over here in Canada are ever likely to have even seen it before, I would be very interested to hear from anybody in Singapore or Malaysia who recognizes it and can tell me how they use it…

Although the English name of the product is ‘Minced Prawns in Spices’ the only spice listed on the label is Chili. Peanuts and Onions are included but these are obviously not included in any great amount as the taste of either of them is not readily apparent.

The paste, as you can see, has a lovely reddish-orange color and is quite oily. Refined Palm oil is used and, while it is liquid at room temperature, it solidifies when you keep the paste in the fridge.

The taste of the product, I have to say, is amazing. The dominant flavor is the slightly pungent, almost fermented taste of dried shrimp, and the chili used just adds a nice background heat without being overpowering. It is quite similar to a Sambal Belacan without Lime juice, or a Sambal Terasi without the very strong fermented taste that Terasi often has.

My only real complaint about this paste is that it doesn’t work well in hot dishes as the best highlights of the cold product are lost when heated, I have used it as a base for sauces, and also stirred into hot noodles, but I have always been a little disappointed and, accordingly, mostly just use it cold. My absolute favorite use for the paste is as a spread on ham sandwiches where it adds a truly delicious and exotic taste dimension.

When I opened a can to take pictures for this post I wanted to use it right away and so I used some to make the appetizers you see above. These are actually nothing more than ham slices spread with some of the paste and then rolled up in a sheet of Nori. My wife is not a big fan of ham sandwiches, so I had to forgo that particular pleasure, but both she and I really enjoyed these little treats.

I have been thinking of some different ways I can use this paste other than for sandwiches and I believe that it may work well as a dressing base for various salads, especially those containing fresh shrimp. However, as I mentioned above, if there are any of my readers out there who are familiar with this excellent product, I would love to hear from you…

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