Open the jar and it hits you straight away: the sharp bite of onion and the warm, smoky depth of dried chilli. This is our fiercest sambol, more like a ground onion and chilli pickle, coarse rather than smooth. The first taste is bright and sour with lime and vinegar, then the onion, then a heat that builds and keeps going, held together by salt. It is bold and unapologetic, and a little does a lot.

You don’t need a Sri Lankan spread to reach for it. Spoon it over fried or scrambled eggs or stir a little through mayonnaise or butter to make a fiery sandwich spread. It’s brilliant with grilled meat, fish or halloumi, piled onto a cheese toastie, or served the way you’d use a chilli paste or hot relish, with a burger, roast potatoes, avocado on toast, or stirred through rice or noodles. Add it to a bowl of dhal or soup when you want a lift. Start with a little; you can always add more.

We make it in small batches by our team in Sri Lanka. The small red onions come from growers in the Northern and Northwestern Provinces, the island’s onion heartland; they’re pounded with dried chilli and balanced with lime and salt, so every spoonful tastes fresh, sharp and fiery straight from the jar.