Balachao - Exotic yet homemade

Shrimp, onions, garlic, dried chilli and spices – all crowd favourites, especially in Bangladesh's culinary scene.

But mixed together and the same ingredients transform into a culinary guest from a distant land; a guest, which is soon becoming part and parcel of tables around the country.

Not that this comes as a surprise.

Bangladeshi gastronomy is distinguished not only by the genius of its unique dishes but also by the recipes generously borrowed from foreign lands throughout its long culinary history. Many Bangladeshi meals, even traditional ones, are likely to have at least some foreign elements – be it from far-flung Portugal or neighbouring Burma.

Hence, it is no surprise that Bangladeshis have grown to love the Balachao – the mixture primarily made of shrimp, onions, garlic, dried chilli and spices, which can be preserved for a long time.

The savoury dry fish snack that came here first from Myanmar and Thailand.

Now, spearheaded mostly by women online traders, the dish has become a regular item for many Bangladeshi diners, both at home and aboard.

It is commonly eaten with rice, khichuri, fried rice, salads, and various vegetables.

Introduced by small-scale entrepreneurs of Cox's Bazar around 10 years ago, this dish has gained immense popularity as ready-to-eat food among foodies across the country, even reaching the poshest supermarkets in Dhaka.

Similar in taste to shutki bhorta (mashed dry fish), Balachao's largest market is online. There are thousands of entrepreneurs who sell homemade Balachao on various online platforms, including Facebook.

A vast majority of these online entrepreneurs are women.

The price varies in the market, with a 140-gram packet selling for TK130 to Tk200, a 240-gram packet for Tk210 to Tk350, and a 300-gram packet for Tk300 to Tk500.

The entrepreneurs 

Selima Islam, a female entrepreneur based in Chattogram and owner of "Selima's Kitchen", became familiar with Balachao through a Thai tourist ten years ago.

Although she initially made the item for her own consumption, for the past two years, she has been producing and selling Balachao in the market.

Selima told The Business Standard, "It is a completely homemade production. We make about 200 packets of Balachao every day and sell them in the market."

She supplies Balachao to about 100 grocery stores, including shops in Kazir Deuri and Chawkbazar in the port city, earning a hefty Tk6 lakh per month.

Cause Peary, another female entrepreneur, runs a popular Facebook page called "Balachao Maker".

Her online shop includes several Balachao varieties, including standard, spicy, extra shrimp, Thai Oriental, red Szechuan, and Kashmiri.

Adding Balachao to pulao, khichuri, fried rice, noodles, or ramen makes the dishes have extra flavour, Peary told TBS. "It can also be simply a side dish."

However, Peary acknowledged the high price of the food and claimed it is due to the long time it takes to prepare the item.

"We try to maintain premium quality and affordable prices," she ventured to add.

Sneaking into local dining tables

Around 10 years ago, small business owners began to bring Balachao to Cox's Bazar's Burmese market from Myanmar.

Sarwar Sohel, a trader in the tourist town, said the food always had demand among the local Rakhine populace, and Chinese and Thai tourists.

However, locals soon caught up with its savoury taste due to its resemblance to Bangladeshi shrimp pickle.

Since then, Balachao has been gaining considerably in popularity among the affluent and expatriates, Sarwar Sohel told TBS.

He has been supplying his homemade Balachao to 20 super shops in Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram and Rangpur for the last four years.

Satisfying expats

Balachao's demand has extended beyond the borders of Bangladesh to countries like the United States, London, Singapore, and Australia, where it is in high demand among expatriates.

Young lawyer Imtiaz Borhan was already familiar with the dry fish business through his family's 30-year-old experience in the trade. When in 2017, Imtiaz Borhan came to learn about Balachao, he soon taught himself the method of making the food.

Imtiaz Borhan now sells Balachao to various countries around the world through his online platform "Easy Shutki Shopping".

He told TBS that his business is online-based. "Customers view the products on our Facebook page and contact us. We produce and package the products according to their demands and send them."

Imtiaz exports almost 100 kilograms of Balachao every month to the US, Uk, and Australia.

Appreciating such initiatives, Shahriar Islam, a Bangladeshi expatriate in the United Kingdom, said Balachao is a lifesaver for a busy soul like him.

"Because there is no hassle of cooking involved. It can be eaten whenever desired. That's why it is quite popular among Bangladeshi expatriates in London," he said.

Salivating potentials

Entrepreneurs said Balachao is not being exported directly as a finished product. Affluent customers are mostly couriering it along with other items.

So far, no local companies have yet taken the initiative to market Balachao on a commercial scale.

It is mostly due to a lack of approval from BSTI (Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution) and loan facilities, interested businesses said.

It requires training and direct attention of small entrepreneurs to groom the potential sector, they noted.

Sadia Akhter Saima, a small entrepreneur from Narayanganj and owner of Yummy Fresh Food, said the flashy online advertisements of the product convey a wrong impression. "The market for Balachao is not that huge."

A customer does not order more than 200-300 grams a month, she said. Average total sales are around 50 kilograms per month.

"Moreover, due to the increased price of shrimp and onions, the business has become challenging. It is running on individual efforts," she added.

Making Balachao

It requires two cups of dried shrimp, one cup of chopped onions, half a cup of crushed garlic, one handful of dry chilli, and half a teaspoon of salt to prepare homemade Balachao.

Firstly, onions are fried and kept for later use. Then, the minced garlic and dried chillies are fried in the same oil until they are brown.

Then the shrimp are fried with salt till they are crispy.

Finally, the roasted garlic and chillies are mixed with the shrimp. They are again fried on low flame for some time.

After cooking, Balachao can be served with various dishes or be a standalone side dish.