11 condiments from around the world to spice up your travels

...And three you might want to avoid!

4 mins

Travel is all about trying new things, dazzling your senses with new sights, sounds and tastes. Strange condiments are one of those sensations. Here’s a list of our favourites from around the world. As well as few you might want to avoid!

Tkemali (Shutterstock.com)

Tkemali with cherry plums (Shutterstock)

1. Tkemali, Georgia

A flavoursome blend of garlic, coriander, dill, chilli pepper, salt ­ – and plums – this tart, sweet and spicy sauce is used on everything from fried chicken and grilled meat to potato dishes.

Pebre (Shutterstock.com)

Pebre with typical Chilean food (Shutterstock)

2. Pebre, Chile

A mix of coriander, chopped onion, olive oil, garlic and ground or pureed spicy aji peppers, this salsa is lathered onto Chilean barbequed meat, and served with bread. It was developed in the 1700s by the Catalan crew of architect Joaquin Toesca, after his wife nearly assassinated him using poisoned asparagus.

Fermented bean curd (Shutterstock.com)

Fermented bean curd (Shutterstock)

3. Fermented Bean Curd, China

The Chinese use these silky, pungent cubes of fermented tofu to flavour rice or breakfast porridge. Use sparingly though. An entire stir-fry dish can be seasoned with just one these cubes.

Harissa (Shutterstock.com)

Homemade Harissa (Shutterstock)

4. Harissa, Tunisia

This super-spicy paste of chiles, coriander, caraway, and garlic can be used in any number of ways. Tunisians particularly like to rub it on steak before grilling, or mix it with lemon juice and olive oil (or even plain yogurt) and serve with pita.

Dukkah (Shutterstock.com)

Dukkah (Shutterstock)

5. Dukkah, Egypt

A crushed powder of mint, nuts, and spices like cumin, Dukkah is best enjoyed mixed with olive oil and eaten with bread.

Avjar (Shutterstock.com)

Ajvar on bread (Shutterstock)

6. Ajvar, Serbia

A tart and smoky red-pepper-and-eggplant relish, Avjar is used differently throughout the Balkans. In Serbia they like it served served with meze (cold appetizers), like hummus. Bosnians, however, prefer it with rostilj (grilled meat).

7. Banana Sauce, Philippines

When tomatoes were scarce in the Philippines during World War II, a resourceful food technologist came up with the idea of using bananas in ketchup instead. Made from mashed bananas, sugar, vinegar, and spices, it’s sweeter than tomato-based ketchup and is used as a dip for lumpia (fried spring rolls filled with ground pork). Filipino kids also like to mix it with spaghetti.

HP sauce (Shutterstock.com)

A bottle of HP sauce (Shutterstock)

8. HP Sauce, United Kingdom

The UK’s premier brown sauce and an integral part of a true British fry-up. Made with malt vinegar, molasses, and dates, the name is short for “Houses of Parliament”. Interestingly, it is actually produced in the Netherlands.

Currywurst (Shutterstock.com)

German currywurst (Shutterstock)

9. Currywurst sauce, Germany

The vital ingredient in one of the most popular and delicious fast foods in Germany – currywurst. Easily obtainable in bottles in most stores in Germany, locals like to knock up their own – dosing their ketchup with a bit of curry powder and paprika.

Mackerel (Shutterstock.com)

Mackerel simmered with doenjang stock (Shutterstock)

10. Fermented doenjang bean paste, North Korea

A staple of North Korean cuisine, doenjang bean paste is usually eaten with vegetables. But after noticing the silky smoothness of workers who make it, the government also recommends it for skin care.

Nasi Goreng (Shutterstock.com)

Nasi goreng (Shutterstock)

11. Kecap Manis, Indonesia

This sweet, sticky, syrupy, molasses-like sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, and sugar and is an essential ingredient in that most Indonesian of dishes, nasi goreng. Indonesians also use it to marinate chicken, and brush over grilled fish. Paired with sliced bird chillis in little dishes, kecap manis is a ubiquitous table condiment to accompany fish, chicken, or vegetables.

And some you might want to avoid...

1. Human hair soy sauce, China

Most of the taste in soy sauce comes from the amino acids released during the fermentation process.  It turns out that those same amino acids can be found in human hair. Enterprising manufacturers, keen to cut costs and fermentation times, comb the hairdressers of Beijing for ‘ingredients’ without care for hygiene. Avoid.

2. Baconnaise, USA

The truly worrying thing about this mayonnaise that tastes like bacon, is the fact that there is absolutely no bacon in it. It’s manufacturers, Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow, wanted to make sure it was kosher. Fear not, it is packed with more fat and salt than you’ll ever need.

3. Monkey Gland Sauce, South Africa

Despite the name, the sauce does not include monkey in any way. Instead, it is made up of chopped onion, garlic and ginger, with a combination of chutney soy sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and wine. It’s tangy, and ideal with grilled meats, but the advertising for it is a little tasteless.

Have you tried any unusual condiments on your travels? Any that you particularly liked – or loathed? Tell us about them in the comments below.


Main Image: Blair's Sudden Death Sauce (Shutterstock)

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