balachong

English

Alternative forms

• balachaung, blachang, blachong

Etymology

From Malay belacan.

Noun

balachong (uncountable)

1. (cooking) A Malaysian and Singaporean form of ngapi, a Southeast Asian condiment made from fermented and compressed fish or shrimp.
   • 1882, James George Scott, w:The Burman: His Life and Notions, Ch. xxviii: "Nga-pee":

     Travellers on the steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company are wont to rail in no measured terms at the fish-paste which forms an invariable and obtrusively evident part of the cargo, yet no Burman would think a dinner complete without his modicum of nga-pee, and it is a noteworthy fact that one form of the condiment is of frequent appearance on English dinner-tables in the East, under the name of balachong, a term borrowed from the Straits Settlements, but which designates nothing more nor less than a specially prepared variety of nga-pee.