Whenever we share recipes like binagoongan, Bicol Express, and pinakbet, we’re often asked: “What’s a good substitute for bagoong?”
For people who don’t live in the Philippines, bagoong has similar shrimp paste counterparts in other Southeast Asian countries. There’s belacan in Malaysia and Singapore; terasi in Indonesia; kapi (also spelled gapi) in Thailand; mắm tôm in Vietnam. All are integral ingredients in their respective cuisines, balancing flavors while adding a distinct savory umami to dishes. If you’re short on bagoong, we don’t see why you can’t use its Asian cousins.
It’s tougher for those who can’t have any of that, because they can't have shrimp paste period. Shellfish allergies. Vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. Low-sodium diets. For people in these groups—whether it’s for you or for the loved ones you cook for—bagoong alternatives open up the range of Filipino dishes you can prepare at home.
Which brings us to this taste test for vegan bagoong. All locally made, all plant-based and free of meat—but which ones are good? How do they taste? Do they make convincing substitutes for bagoong? We decided to find out.
How do you make vegan bagoong?
Or: How do you make plants taste like fermented seafood?
We love bagoong. We’re lifelong omnivores. And not gonna lie: Vegan bagoong won’t fool anyone. You know how plant-based meat can’t quite replicate the taste and feel of real meat? The same gap exists between vegan and regular bagoong.
But that gap, we feel, is also what makes it special!
Once you consider vegan bagoong as its own funky, plant-powered condiment and not an exact substitute, you’ll enjoy what it brings to the table. Look at Noma’s smoked mushroom garum, a fermented “fish sauce” made from salt, koji, and cremini mushrooms. You’ll find that vegan bagoong has a similar formulation, and captures what bagoong imparts to our favorite Filipino dishes: a combination of salt, funk, and umami.
Plant-based sources of salt, funk, and umami
Salt is easy—it’s vegan already. For funk and umami, which are closely intertwined, we found that most vegan bagoong formulations feature one or several of these ingredients:
- Mushrooms. Mushrooms are a natural source of umami, making them a popular ingredient in vegan bagoong. Most recipes prefer shiitake for its assertive aroma and deep, earthy complexity.
- Fermented black beans (tausi). A Chinese pantry staple, these savory umami bombs check off salt, funk, and umami easily.
- Seaweed. Umami-rich seaweed carries the flavor of the ocean, making it a popular plant-based ingredient for achieving fishy flavors. Nori, wakame, and kombu are commonly used.
Once you have your key umami ingredient, the rest becomes a balancing act of texture and flavor.
For example, carrots, beans, or (more) mushrooms can add more bite to your vegan bagoong. Flavor is a matter of taste, and can vary wildly. Some like it straightforwardly salty and umami; some like the perkiness of vinegar and fermentation; some turn to sugars and spices for a complex flavor—the kind that’s impossible to describe, but you just know is delicious.
There’s no cut-and-dry way to make vegan bagoong, which made this taste test more challenging. The brands taste so different from each other that it felt like testing apples versus oranges versus bananas in search of the best fruit. We thought it would be fair to skip our usual shortlist and include all the brands we tried, beginning with the team's pick.
How we tested
We pulled together six brands of vegan bagoong through online searches and suggestions from Pepper’s Telegram group. Coincidentally and conveniently, all are available through The Vegan Grocer. (Not sponsored!)
Each brand was evaluated on its own, then as a condiment for kare-kare and rice. To help you decide which vegan bagoong to try, each brand has a summary of its main ingredients, saltiness, and texture.
On price: Vegan bagoong costs about thrice as much as regular bagoong. Here's how they're represented:
Our chunky pick: Nuno Bagnet Bagoong
The name comes from Nuno’s vegan bagnet, made in-house from soy and wheat protein, that forms the bagoong’s meaty base. Swimming in annatto-tinged oil, you’ll see those bits of vegan bagnet interspersed with bigger, bouncier chunks—maybe mushroom and tausi.
One taster described the flavor as “vegetal” and “shroomy”, with a warm blend of spices that tastes “a little Chinese”. The team warmed up to this one easily, finding it to have the best chunky texture, though some preferred something on the saltier side.
