A South African fruit preserve or chutney made from fruit, spices, and sometimes vegetables; a sweet-savory condiment.
From Dutch 'blatchang' or directly from Malay 'belacan,' arriving in South African English through Dutch colonial contact and Asian trade. Became particularly associated with Cape Dutch cuisine.
This word traveled from Malaysia to the Netherlands to South Africa—its spelling variations show how English speakers in different colonies heard and spelled the same foreign word differently! It's proof that English is a global language that adapts everywhere.
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