To use in cooking, add belacan when you're sauteing your onions and/or garlic.
To use belacan in a fresh [uncooked] condiment such as Malaysia's famous Sambal Belacan - a dipping sauce made of freshly ground chilies, belacan & lime juice - it should first be toasted in a dry hot pan or in a toaster oven. You'll be well advised to ventilate your kitchen and light a scented candle; as it has a pungent scent like "stinky cheese". But don't be put off - it mellows out in the cooking, leaving behind an understated richness that simply cannot be reproduced.
