If you’re not sure how to add an extra something to dinner, a flavorful sauce is always a great pick, and soy sauce is the default option to pair with many cuisines found across the Asian continent. If you're bored with the standard soy, try stocking this delicious sweet and sticky soy sauce from Indonesia in your pantry.

Kecap manis, also called ketjap manis, is a thicker, sweeter, smokier soy sauce made with palm sugar and spices, and it's a delicious condiment or flavoring for rice dishes, steaks, curries, and more. The condiment is so widely-used across the Indonesian archipelago that it's sometimes referred to as Indonesian ketchup.

With a toffee-like sweetness and a deep savouriness, kecap manis can be one of the sole flavors in a dish, such as in a stir-fry, or it makes a great dip for everything from barbecue skewers to French fries. It's especially popular in Indonesian-style fried rice, and the sauce can be either made at home or bought fairly easily.

To make kecap manis, simmer soy sauce with palm sugar and flavorings like molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and garlic, and take the sauce off the heat while it's still liquidy since it thickens as it cools. To buy it, check any Asian grocery store or search online, and an airtight bottle will keep for up to three months in the fridge.