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Shrimp Toast laid out on a rectangular ceramic plate topped with onion grass. There is a ceramic 2 compartment dish with sweet chili sauce and mustard behind it.

Nagasaki Shrimp Toast

There is no mistaking the aromatic fragrance of delicious Shrimp Toast as you walk through Nagasaki Chinatown.  Crispy and loaded with flavor, a couple of pieces of toast is the perfect starter to your next Asian meal.

Nagasaki Shrimp Toast is an absolutely perfect example of a fusion between Japanese and Chinese foods.  The aromatic flavors of sesame and shrimp with undertones of Japanese sake provide it with a unique Nagasaki taste.

“So wait a minute” you may be saying to yourself, “isn’t Shrimp Toast a Chinese dish?”  Well yes, absolutely.  But Nagasaki has a deeply embedded Chinese culture that goes back for hundreds of years.  And although many dishes commonly eaten in Japan have Chinese origins, over the years the Japanese have put their own unique spin on recipes and made them their own.  Anybody who has spent time in Nagasaki knows the taste of Nagasaki-Style Chinese food, from noodle dishes such as Champon and Saraudon, to melt in your mouth kakuni manju (stewed pork in a steamed bun), Nagasaki Chinese cuisine is a cuisine unto itself.

Four red pillars top-Ed with a sloped roof adorned with Chinese characters with a brick building in the background.
One of the four gates that mark the entrance to Nagasaki Chinatown.

In Nagasaki, Chinese food is a staple and people come from all around Japan to experience it.  Whenever I am in Nagasaki I visit Shinchi, Nagasaki Chinatown, and order a helping of Shrimp Toast and big heaping bowl of Saraudon.  But even if you can’t go yourself, you can try this amazing recipe out.  It’s easy to make at home and none of the ingredients are hard to find.

So what are you waiting for?

Nagasaki Shrimp Toast can be served with hot Chinese mustard or sweet chili sauce for dipping.  Make sure to enjoy it while hot.

Nagasaki Shrimp Toast

Nagasaki Shrimp Toast is a delicious way to start off a meal. With its aromatic smell, crispy texture, and melt in your mouth flavor, it has become one of my favorite “go-to” dishes.  I usually make up a big batch by doubling or tripling the recipe and then I put some aside and freeze it before cooking.  You can keep it in the freezer for several months before cooking.

PREP COOKING YIELD
15 minutes 10 minutes Makes 12 pieces
PREP 15 minutes
COOKING 10 minutes
YIELD Makes 12 pieces
Shrimp Toast laid out on a rectangular ceramic plate topped with onion grass. There is a ceramic 2 compartment dish with sweet chili sauce and mustard behind it.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pieces of thickly sliced white bread
  • 2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
  • Cooking Oil (Rice Bran, Peanut or Vegetable Oil)

Shrimp Paste Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 TBSP Sesame Oil
  • 1 TBSP Cooking Sake
  • 1 TBSP fresh grated ginger
  • 1 TBSP Potato Starch (Cornstarch will also work)
  • 1/2 TBSP Honey
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
Ingredients for Nagasaki Shrimp Toast Laid out on a table.
Ingredients for Nagasaki Shrimp Toast

Instructions:

  • Blend all of the ingredients for the shrimp paste in a food processor until smooth.

Shrimp paste in a metal bowl

  • Spread the paste evenly on one side of the white bread covering the entire surface.

Spreading the shrimp paste on a slice of bread

  • Cut the bread diagonally in quarters, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

The bread is sliced in diagonal quarters and sitting on a cutting board

  • Fill a fry pan with about 2 inches of oil.  Preheat the oil to 325 degrees F/ 160 degrees C.
  • When the oil is pre-heated, add 6 pieces of bread with the shrimp paste facing down.  Fry for 2 1/2 minutes.

Frying the shrimp toast, paste side down

  • Turn and fry for an additional minute.

After turning, frying the other side in a fry pan

  • Remove from the oil and place on a rack or on absorbent paper to eliminate extra oil.
  • Serve hot.  Sweet Chili Sauce and Hot Chinese Mustard go well with it.
Shrimp toast on a long ceramic plate. The plate is on a trendy placemat on a table with Japanese prints. There are plants in the background.
Nagasaki Shrimp Toast with Sweet Chili Sauce and Hot Chinese Mustard

Notes:

  • Shrimp toast can be frozen prior to frying. If you want to reduce space in the freezer, Shrimp Paste can be frozen and reused after thawing.
  • For an even more aromatic shrimp toast, blend in a 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro into the shrimp paste.
  • For a healthier version of shrimp toast, you can cook it in the oven. Brush each side lightly with cooking oil and bake in a preheated oven 325 degrees F for about 15 minutes with the paste side up until the top is cooked. Finish it up by toasting in the broiler for 3-5 minutes on each side until crispy.

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