Fish paste

Fish paste is fish which has been chemically broken down by a fermentation process until it reaches the consistency of a soft creamy purée or paste. Alternatively it refers to cooked fish which has been physically broken down by pounding, grinding, pressing, mincing, , and/or sieving, until it reaches the consistency of paste. The term can be applied also to shellfish pastes, such as shrimp paste or crab paste.

Fish paste is used as a condiment or seasoning to add flavour to food, or in some cases to complement a dish. Generally, fish paste is reduced to a thick, rich concentrate, which has usually been cooked for a long time. It can be contrasted with fish sauce, which is like a fish paste except it is not cooked for so long, is a thick liquid rather than a concentrated paste, and may include seasonings and other flavorings.

"Preservation of marine products is of great importance to the coastal poor. Preserved fish products ensure adequate protein during low fishing periods. Subsistence fishers use their abundant catch of small fish to make fermented fish paste and smoked fish with the assistance of family members."

Shipham's Salmon Paste is another long-established British fish paste, and other varieties are common, including anchovy, shrimp, and bloater (based on small smoked herrings). British fish pastes are commonly used as a spread inside white-bread sandwiches, eaten for lunch, or as part of a "high tea" or a mid-afternoon light meal consisting of a variety of sandwiches, biscuits and cakes, usually served with hot tea, either Chinese or Indian, but possibly also with coffee. Similar fish pastes, including Anchovette, and Salmon and Lobster, are still available in Australian supermarkets, and were a staple for children's school lunches, sandwiches brought from home, during the 1950s and 1960s. In Australia, similar meat-based concoctions, in chicken and ham, and devilled (pepper-spiced ham), are still made by Peck's, which began manufacturing in 1904.

Adult penguins crush and process fish into a paste which is stored in their throat pouch, and then fed to baby penguins.

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