Budu is a type of fermented fish sauce produced from salted anchovy. The fish are salted and left to ferment for months, yielding a product with a characteristic olive-brown colour and an intense, savoury, umami-rich flavour. Popular in Malaysia and Thailand, particularly on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, budu is used as a seasoning and dipping sauce, often mixed with lime juice, chilli and herbs. Like other fermented fish sauces, it is rich in amino acids and peptides released by enzymatic breakdown during the long fermentation.