Sesame into a bar resembling peanut brittle and sold in stores and street corners. Sesame is a popular and essential ingredient in many Middle Eastern cuisines. Sesame seeds are made into a paste called "tahini" (used in various ways, including "hummus bi tahini") and the Middle Eastern confection "halvah". Ground and processed, the seed is also used in sweet confections. Sesame is also a common component of the Levantine spice mixture "za'atar", popular all throughout the Middle East. In South Asian, Middle Eastern, and East Asian cuisines, popular confectionery are made from sesame mixed with honey or syrup and roasted into
Shrimp paste or sauces, and in all Thai curry pastes, such as the paste used in "kaeng som". Very popular in Thailand is "nam phrik kapi", a spicy condiment made with fresh shrimp paste and most often eaten together with fried "pla thu" (short mackerel) and fried, steamed or raw vegetables. In Southern Thailand there are three types of shrimp paste: one made only from shrimp, one containing a mixture of shrimp and fish ingredients, and another paste that is sweet. 'Nam prik meng daa' is available in Hat Yai and Satul markets. Meng is a night flying bug and its body