FOOD IN MALAYSIA

Exotic food in Malaysia is exquisite in style and delicious in taste. From the three main ethnic groups of Malays, Chinese and Indians come a fabulous array of food in all colors, tastes and smells. The wonderful thing about being in Malaysia is that you can find food anytime (yes, even at 4 in the morning) in most major cities. And you will have no shortage of choice when it comes to food. In addition to the Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines, you will also find Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Italian, French, Mexican and of course, the usual Western foods.

The staple diet of Malaysians is rice. Hence, most of the dishes in Malaysia are rice-based ones. But don’t think that all the dishes are the same. You will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of the local dishes. Each race has their own unique tastes, which give their cooking a distinct flavor. Perhaps the most famous Malay dish is Nasi Lemak. Nasi lemak is a dish comprising steamed white rice cooked in coconut milk, with spicy anchovies, cucumber, peanuts, hard boiled egg and deep fried chicken with accompanying thick coconut-based spicy gravy. It is traditionally served on banana leaves instead of plates. The Malays would eat it with their bare hands. But nowadays, forks and spoons are the norm (courtesy of Western influence)|gravy[/spin]. Other favourite dishes of the Malays are Beef Rendang which is grilled beef eaten with thick spicy gravy (similar to that in Nasi Lemak) and Kari Ikan which is fish curry.

The one dish you will not find among Malays is pork for almost all Malays in Malaysia are Moslem.

Besides spicy foods, the Malays generally have a liking for sweet foods. If you have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy Malay food. The Malays are famous for their delectable cakes and pastries such as Kuih Lapis (layered cake), Tat Nenas (pineapple tarts), Kuih Baulu (a type of sponge cake except it’s harder in texture) and an assortment of biscuits of many types.

The Chinese, on the other hand, like cooking rice and flour-based dishes. A traditional Chinese meal consists of rice and a whole range of dishes such as sweet and sour pork, steamed fish, stir-fried vegetables and the almost indispensible Chinese soup. The soup would contain vegetables such as beancurd, cabbage, slices of onion, cauliflower etc. One favourite among the Chinese is Bak Kut Teh, a rice dish with pieces of pork cooked in a unique herbal soup. Did you know that the head of the fish is a delicacy among Chinese (and Indians, too)? They usually cook fish head in curry. Obviously the fish has to be of a large species, like the Grouper or Snapper.

Besides rice, the Chinese love noodles. Chinese noodles are customarily cooked in either the wet or dry style. Wet means the noodles are cooked in soup whereas dry means the noodles are boiled in hot water and the soup is served separately. One of the most popular wet-styled noodle dishes of the Chinese is Curry Laksa. This is a dish where noodles are cooked in curry added with vegetables, eggs and chicken shreds. The Chinese are not picky about their food. It is said that the Chinese would eat anything with its back facing the sun. The Chinese are known to eat frogs’ legs, wildboar meat, snake meat, rabbit meat, ostrich meat and even turtle soup (remember the famed champion long-distance runners known as Ma’s Army? They were fed turtle soup, among other things).

The Indians love spicy food. Almost all their dishes contain some form of chilli or curry. The most famous Indian dish is Banana Leaf Curry rice. Like Nasi Lemak, it is served on Banana leaves and eaten with vegetables, Mutton Rendang (like that in Nasi Lemak), Papadam (a special type of crackers, like the Indian version of chips) and fish curry. Most Indians are Hindus so you would not find any beef in their diet.

However there is a significant portion of Indians who are Moslem in Malaysia. They are known as Indian Muslims. Over time they have developed their own cooking style. Unmistakably, the Indian Muslims in Malaysia are well-known for a delightful type of dish called the Roti Canai. To watch them prepare Roti Canai is an experience all on its own. Flour is mixed with water into dough and is spread thin by a unique flipping and flapping motion done with both [spin]hands. This flattened piece of dough is grilled over a flat pan and other ingredients are added, such as eggs, bananas, butter etc.

These and many more are some of the delicious dishes unique to Malaysia. Indeed, Malaysia is a food paradise.

Read more about Food Malaysia and types of food in Malaysia.

Or stop gathering mouthwater - read the tips about vacation packing checklist and move to the paradise!