haa1 gou1蝦膏虾膏

Jyutpinghaa1 gou1

Yalehā gōu

名詞

Definition

Shrimp paste; a firm condiment made by mixing shrimp with salt and sun-drying it.

colloquialfood

How it's used

Unlike the liquid shrimp sauce known as 蝦醬, 蝦膏 is typically sold as a dense, solid block. It is a staple in traditional Cantonese home cooking, often used to season stir-fried vegetables or steamed pork dishes to add a deep, savory umami punch. Because the flavor is extremely concentrated and salty, only a tiny amount is needed to transform a meal.

Measure word

gau6嚿gauh

Examples

le1呢dip2碟coi3菜gaa1加zo2咗siu2少siu2少haa1蝦gou1膏，hou2好hoeng1香aa4呀。

This dish has a little shrimp paste added, it smells great.

nei5你zyu2煮faan6飯go2嗰zan6陣wui2會m4唔wui2會lok6落haa1蝦gou1膏㗎？

Do you use shrimp paste when you cook?

Common phrases

haa1蝦gou1膏caau2炒coi3菜

stir-fried vegetables with shrimp paste

zing1蒸haa1蝦gou1膏

steamed with shrimp paste

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 蝦醬, which is a fermented, paste-like sauce often used as a condiment for dipping. Using 蝦膏 as a dipping sauce without cooking it first will result in an overwhelmingly salty and gritty experience.