Klong Cone Shrimp paste

Shrimp paste, though it does not look nice, is the leading actor of the chili paste. The shrimp paste that everyone sees in the form of a purple lump was actually “Khoei”, a saltwater animal that is shaped like shrimp but very small and transparent with black eyes. Some people called it “Khoei Ta Dam”, which is good for making delicious shrimp paste. Khoei will be abundant in the rainy season. Therefore, it is the time for villagers to catch Khoei by using a trawl net to catch Khoei in the sea, about 1-3 kilometers away from the coast. After catching Khoei, villagers will rinse them, then mix with a good quality sea salt. After that, they will be dried in the sun and flipped regularly for about 3-5 days. Khoei that looks orange will become purplish black because of the sun. If the sun is less, the shrimp paste will become saltier. However, if you want the grilled shrimp paste to smell good, ferment them in a clean water jar or bucket for about 15 days to 1 month. You can see that the weather directly affects the deliciousness and color of the shrimp paste, which mirrors the people’s way of life – a life that is nourished by interacting with nature.