Flavor: How does it taste? What are the primary tasting notes? How do the ingredients build the profile?
Texture: Chunky or smooth? Is it more of a paste or a sauce?
Swap Factor: Could it pass as regular bagoong? Would it work as a 1:1 substitute? Can it function both as a condiment and an ingredient?
Fine Print
The Lineup: We tested 6 vegan bagoong brands, all locally made and available through The Vegan Grocer.
Why We’re Doing This: Bagoong alternatives open up Filipino cooking for people who can't have shrimp paste—whether due to shellfish allergies, vegan or vegetarian lifestyles, or low-sodium diets. We wanted to test all the brands available and see if they make convincing substitutes.
How We Tasted: Each brand was evaluated on its own, then as a condiment for kare-kare and rice.
How We Scored: Each product was evaluated across 3 criteria. Final placements reflect the Pepper team's averaged impressions.
On Price: Vegan bagoong costs about three times as much as regular bagoong. Prices range from ₱80 and below (₱) to ₱90–100 (₱₱₱) per 100g.
Transparency: No brand paid for inclusion in this taste test.
