Timorese food · Relish
Ai-manas (chilli pickle)
Crushed chilli with salt, garlic and lime or bilimbi: the table sauce served with almost everything.
Last verified: Checked against a Timorese cookbook and published food sources
By David
Quick answer · as of October 2026
Ai-manas is the Tetum word for chilli, and the name of the chilli pickle or relish that sits on almost every Timorese table. In its simplest form it is crushed chilli and salt; most cooks add garlic and something sour, such as lime or bilimbi fruit, and let it sit for a day. It is the Timorese answer to Indonesian sambal.
- Type
- Relish
- Origin
- Timorese
- Vegetarian
- Vegetarian
- Also called
- aimanas, aimanas budu, ai manas
On this page
What is Ai-manas?
A Tetun–English dictionary gives ai manas simply as "chilli", and in daily use the word also means the relish made from it. The 2020 ACIAR cookbook describes aimanas (also aimanas budu, "chilli pickle") as made "from chillies and salt", with other ingredients depending "on what is in season or available in people's gardens".
The recipe in that book, from the women of the Fish House in Ililai, Lautém, crushes chillies, garlic and salt together and mixes in chopped bilimbi (a sour green fruit) or lime, then leaves it in a jar for at least a day. Koryo Tours describes household versions with garlic, lime rind, red onion and ginger.
How it is made
- Chillies, garlic and salt are crushed together with a stone mortar.
- Chopped lime or bilimbi fruit is mixed in.
- The pickle is sealed in a jar and left at least a day before eating.
Where to try it
Everywhere. It comes with grilled fish at street stalls, with rice dishes at warungs, and on the table at most Timorese restaurants. Ask for it if it is not offered.
See all restaurants and cafés in Timor-Leste.
Tips
- It can be very hot. Try a little first, and ask for it on the side if you are ordering something already spicy.
More Timorese dishes
Relish
Budu (fresh relish)
Also: budu matak
A sharp, fresh relish of tomato, lime, onion and herbs, served with fish, rice and batar da'an.
Vegetarian versions exist
Street food
Ikan tunu (grilled fish)
Also: grilled fish, barbecued fish
Whole fish grilled over coals with a chilli, garlic and turmeric baste, sold at roadside and beach stalls.
Contains meat or fish
Side
Katupa
Also: ketupat
Rice cooked with coconut and turmeric inside small woven palm-leaf parcels.
Vegetarian
Frequently asked questions
What does ai-manas mean?
Ai-manas is Tetum for chilli. The same word is used for the chilli relish served with meals.
Sources
Official sites, operators and references we checked for this page.
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