Nam prik (Thai น้ำพริก, literally "chilli water") is not a single sauce but a vast family of pounded Thai chilli relishes and dips — from the fresh, fiery, lime-sharp nam prik kapi built on fermented shrimp paste to the dark, sweet-smoky roasted-chilli jam nam prik pao. Made by pounding chillies with garlic, shallot and a salty-umami backbone in a mortar and balancing them with lime and palm sugar, it is the everyday centrepiece of a Thai meal: a small dish of intense relish eaten with rice and a spread of fresh, boiled or fried vegetables.