Pastes and sauces
Curry pastes, harissa, gochujang, sambal and the wet ground seasonings of the world.
Pastes are spices pounded or blended with wet ingredients such as garlic, oil, vinegar or fermented beans. Curry paste, harissa, gochujang, doubanjiang and recado rojo are examples.
What they are
A paste carries the flavour of fresh aromatics as well as dry spices. Thai curry pastes use fresh chillies, lemongrass and galangal, and Tunisian harissa uses dried chillies, garlic and caraway. Others, like gochujang and doubanjiang, are fermented and develop a deep savoury taste.
How they are used
Pastes are fried in oil or coconut cream to cook out their raw edge and release their scent, before other ingredients are added. Some are used as marinades, dips or table condiments.
Buying and keeping
Jars should be kept in the fridge after opening, with a layer of oil on the top to protect them. Fermented pastes keep well for months. Check the ingredients, as heat and salt levels vary.
Paste on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Hilbeh: شرعب السلام, CC BY-SA 4.0, source