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Learn how to make ginisang bagoong! This sauteed shrimp paste is the perfect medley of sweet, savory, and spicy and makes a great condiment to green mangoes and your favorite dishes.

How to Make Ginisang Bagoong
My yearly vacations to the Philippines are always a food-venture! I have aunts who love to cook as much as I do, and it’s exciting to learn from them. On my recent trip, one of my aunts shared with me her secret to the best lumpiang sariwa while my other aunt taught me how to make her killer ginisang bagoong.

I hope you give their special recipes a try because they’re the bomb! My aunt’s sauteed shrimp paste is so much better than mine; I am updating this post to reflect her method.

What is Bagoong
Bagoong or alamang is a fermented condiment made of minute shrimp or krill. These small crustaceans are cleaned in a brine solution and mixed with salt.

The mixture is kept in earthen jars and allowed to ferment for about 1 to 3 months, with food coloring added to give the paste its characteristic red or pink hue. A by-product of this process is fish sauce which is a clear, yellowish liquid that accumulates on top.

Widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine, it is also a common ingredient in Filipino cooking such as in pinakbet Tagalog and binagoongan. Although it can be consumed “fresh”, the extra step of sauteing or gisa makes it a better pair for dishes such as kare kare and of course, green mangoes.

Helpful Tips;
Using a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the raw shrimp paste to rid of the excess brine and drain well.
Cook the sugar in the oil until dissolved and begins to brown. Add the shrimp paste and cook until it changes color.
Add chili peppers, if you prefer spicy.
Thicken the shrimp paste with cornstarch slurry for better texture.
Allow to cool completely and transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid.