Asam pedas is one dish synonymous with Malacca as well as Johor in Malaysia.  Asam pedas means hot/spicy and sour and is basically a dish of fish or beef in light gravy.  The common ingredients are dried chillies, shallots, garlic, belacan, daun kesum (Vietnamese mint), bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), and tamarind juice.  Some recipes also use ginger, galangal, fresh turmeric, lemon grass and asam gelugor, a Malyasian fruit, in the dishes.  Common fish used are Spanish mackerel, stingray or catfish.