Detailed Explanation of Shrimp Paste and Its Product Production and Processing Technology

Shrimp paste is one of the traditional shrimp foods of China and the coastal regions of Southeast Asia. Its rich nutrition and unique flavor are deeply favored by diners at home and abroad.

(1) Raw material shrimp for shrimp paste production. The shrimp used for shrimp paste are several species of planktonic crustaceans, among which the main varieties are:

(1) Acetes chinensis; (2) Acetes japonicus; (3) mysid shrimp; (4) ditch shrimp. The salt used for shrimp paste production must be water-washed edible salt that complies with national hygiene standards.

(2) Shrimp paste production process. The modern fermentation method is currently the most scientific production process. Its process flow is as follows: raw material decontamination and washing -> salt addition by ratio and grinding into paste -> controlled-temperature fermentation -> oil and paste separation -> packaging and sterilization.

(3) Shrimp paste products. Shrimp paste generally contains about 30% salt and can only be used as a seasoning, in very small amounts. Using shrimp paste as a raw material to make a series of ready-to-eat shrimp paste products with relatively lower salt content will greatly expand its edibility range. The raw shrimp paste will also thereby gain in value. Common shrimp paste products include shrimp paste beans, shrimp paste peanuts, assorted shrimp paste, spicy shrimp paste, and five-spice shrimp paste in soft and hard cans. Shrimp-flavored salt, shrimp-flavored pickles, etc. A brief summary of their production processes is as follows.

1. Shrimp paste beans: Wash the soybeans and dry them, then stir-fry until half-cooked and set aside. Put vegetable oil into a stainless steel jacketed steam pot and heat it, add spices and shrimp paste. Boil the soybeans and a certain proportion of water. When the soybeans have absorbed enough water and fully swollen, quickly add umami agents, antioxidants, and thickeners and mix thoroughly, remove from the pot at 85°C, and while hot fill into retort pouches or glass bottles. After exhausting, sealing (capping), sterilizing, and cooling, they become soft or hard canned shrimp paste beans. The general shelf life of soft cans and hard cans is half a year and one year respectively.

2. Five-spice shrimp paste: Put peanut oil into an aluminum pot or stainless steel pot and heat it, add spices and a small amount of chili powder and fry briefly, then add shrimp paste and quickly stir-fry until the shrimp aroma fills the air, then add an appropriate amount of water to dilute the saltiness to a palatable level, then add refined agents, umami agents, aroma enhancers, and stabilizers. After mixing evenly, while hot fill into composite retort pouches and place in a microwave oven to heat, exhaust, and seal, then put into the microwave oven again for secondary sterilization until the pouch bulges.

3. Shrimp-flavored salt: Fully mix shrimp paste dry powder, seaweed powder, and edible salt at 1:1:2 on a double-cone mixer, then pack into bags at 100 grams/bag on a filling and sealing machine, then place in a microwave oven for sterilization, and after cooling, they can be boxed and shipped from the factory. This salt is a low-sodium, iodine-rich, moisture-proof, long-shelf-life type.

4. Shrimp-flavored pickled cucumber: Wash small cucumbers with clean water, soak the whole cucumbers in shrimp paste for 20 days, stirring once each day. At that time, take them out and place them in shrimp oil to wash the shrimp paste off the surface, drain the shrimp oil, put them into plastic bags and seal, and quickly sterilize in a microwave for 5 seconds.