belachan

A condiment, similar to fish sauce but thicker, made from fermented fish or shellfish and widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine.

(Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore) A thick, dark, sticky paste made from shrimp or prawn.

A beloved South African spicy-sweet chutney with Malay-Cape origins — think thick, sticky, intensely flavored condiment packed with dried fruit, chillies, garlic, and spices. Blatjang is a staple of South African braai culture, served alongside grilled meats, boerewors, and pretty much anything else on the fire. The flavor is bold and complex: fruity, spicy, tangy, and deeply savory all at once. Outside South Africa it's mostly unknown, but to South Africans it's as essential as tomato sauce is elsewhere.