Hidden Animal Ingredients in Malaysian and Singaporean Food (Belacan, Lard)

Malaysia and Singapore are food crossroads, which makes them tricky for vegetarians: Malay food hides shrimp paste, Chinese-Malaysian food hides lard, and both hide fish and meat in dishes that look vegetable-based.

Key Takeaways

• Belacan, a fermented shrimp paste, is the hidden ingredient in most Malay sambal.
• Anchovy sambal is the non-vegetarian part of nasi lemak.
• Pork lard is the traditional cooking fat in char kway teow and some Chinese-Malaysian hawker food.
• “Vegetable” dishes at hawker stalls often contain oyster sauce, fish sauce or a little meat for flavor.

TL;DR: Malaysian and Singaporean food hides animal products in belacan shrimp paste, anchovy sambal and pork lard. The sambal, the crackers and the wok fat are where the animal ingredients hide.

Belacan: the shrimp paste in the sambal

Belacan is a fermented shrimp paste, and it is the backbone of Malay sambal, the chili condiment served with almost every meal. The National Library Board of Singapore describes belacan as a shrimp-based paste that gives Malay and Peranakan cooking its savory depth (National Library Board Singapore, retrieved 2026-08-25). A sambal made with belacan is not vegetarian, and it turns a vegetable dish non-vegetarian at the table.

A vegan guide puts it the same way: belacan is the shrimp paste that hides in nearly every Malay sambal (The Dharma Store, retrieved 2026-08-25).

Anchovy sambal and nasi lemak

Nasi lemak, the national dish, is the other classic gotcha. Its sambal is traditionally cooked with dried anchovies (ikan bilis), and the plate is topped with crispy fried anchovies and an egg. The coconut rice is vegan, but the sambal and the topping are not.

Lard: the wok fat

On the Chinese-Malaysian side, the hidden ingredient is lard. Char kway teow, the famous stir-fried flat noodles, is traditionally cooked in pork lard with shrimp, Chinese sausage and egg. Even a “no shrimp” version can still be lard-fried. Hokkien mee and some fried rice are the same.

Other things to watch

• Oyster sauce and fish sauce in Chinese-Malaysian stir-fries.
• Dried shrimp in some vegetable dishes and curries.
• A little minced meat in “vegetable” dishes at hawker stalls, added for flavor.
• Krupuk (shrimp crackers) on the side.

How to order

1. Ask if the sambal has belacan, and request a fresh chili sambal instead.
2. Ask if noodles are cooked in lard or vegetable oil.
3. Skip the shrimp crackers and the anchovy sambal.
4. Scan packaged Malaysian and Singaporean products. A scanner app flags shrimp paste, fish sauce and lard against your diet.

See our Malaysia common-ingredients guide for a fuller list.

The bottom line

Malaysian and Singaporean food hides animal products in its sambal, its anchovies and its wok fat. Belacan, anchovy sambal and lard are the three to watch. Ask about the sambal and the cooking fat, and you will catch most of it.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.