Malaysian cuisine

The cuisine of a country is generally a microcosm of the nation and Malaysian cuisine reflects the multi racial aspects of Malaysia. Various ethnic groups in Malaysia have their dishes but many dishes in Malaysia are derived from multiple ethnic influences.

Ingredients

Staple foods

Rice tends to be a staple food in Malaysia as in most countries in the region. The rice eaten in Malaysia tends to be the local variety of rice or fragrant rice from Thailand, its northern neighbour. Varieties of rice such as basmati, Japanese short grain rice and others are slowly entering the Malaysian diet as Malaysians expand their culinary tastes to new areas.

Noodles are another popular food. Noodles such as "Bee Hoon, 米粉" (vermicelli), "Kuay Teow, 稞条" (soft fluffy noodles shaped like fettuccine but made of rice and translucent white in colour), "Mee, 麺" (yellow noodles), "Mee Suah, 麺线", "Yee Meen, 伊麺" (pre-fried noodles), "Tang Hoon, 通粉" (transparent noodles made from green beans), macaroni, and others provide a source of carbohydrate besides the ubiquitous serving of rice that accompanies every meal.

Western style bread is a relatively new addition to the Malaysian diet, having gained acceptance only in the last generation or so.

Meat

Poultry

Chicken is generally available from local farms and is a cheap source of meat. Farms used to be family affairs, with chickens slaughtered fresh on demand at the community wet market. For a small fee a vendor would put the dead chicken into a machine where the feathers would be removed. The machine consisted of a large container of hot water which was agitated aggressively resulting in removal of feathers. Gutting and cleaning the chicken would be performed at home.

Today, while wet markets still exist, most urban Malaysians purchase frozen poultry which are raised on huge farms run by corporations.

A special type of chicken in Malaysian cooking is called the "kampung chicken" (literally village chicken). These are free-range chickens which are allowed to roam instead of being caged. These chickens are generally considered to have higher nutritional value. They are scrawnier than their farmed counterparts, meaning they have less body fat. Cooking of kampung chicken is usually by way of steaming or preparation in a soup.

Duck and goose also form part of the Malaysian diet.

Beef

Beef is available in the Malaysian diet though it is notable that followers of certain religions such as Hinduism and some types of Buddhism forbid the consumption of beef. Beef can be commonly found cooked in curries, stews, roasted or with noodles.

Pork

Pork is largely consumed by the Chinese people of Malaysia. Malay people are by definition Muslim and therefore Islam forbids them from consuming pork. Canned pork can usually be found in the non-halal sections of local supermarkets and hypermarkets, along with alcohol drinks.

Mutton

Mutton is available in the Malaysian cuisine too. It generally refers to goats' meat rather than sheep's.

Seafood

Many types of seafood are consumed in Malaysia, including shrimp or prawns, a type of crawfish- or langoustine-like creature called udang galah, crabs, squid, cuttlefish, clams, cockles, snails, and octopus. In general, members of all ethnic communities enjoy seafood, which is considered halal by Malaysian Muslims (and indeed most other Muslims).

Fish

Fish features in the Malaysian diet and most local fish is purchased the day after it is caught. Some local fish is salted and dried. This dry, hard, salted item is also used as an ingredient.

Frozen fish are usually of the imported kind. Fish such as salmon and cod are well received on the Malaysian table but are not caught by local fishermen. Such fish are frozen and flown in as pieces or as whole fish and usually sold by weight.

Vegetables

Vegetables are usually available year round as Malaysia does not have four seasons. During the rainy season, sometimes vegetable yield decreases but does not stop altogether. Therefore, vegetables can be purchased year round but are slightly more expensive at certain times of the year.

Fruit

Malaysia's climate allows for fruits to be grown all year round. Most tropical fruits are either grown in Malaysia or imported from neighbouring countries. The demand for fruits is generally quite high. The durian, a fruit with a spiky outer shell and a characteristic odour is a local tropical fruit that is notable because it provokes strong emotions either of loving it or hating it. The rambutan also has a distinctive appearance, being red or yellow in colour (when ripe) and having fleshy pliable spines or 'hairs' on its outer skin.

Food types

Malay food

Malay food is best characterized by its extensive use of chilli and/or coconut milk and frying method. Basically, having a Malay meal consists of a one-time serving of rice and various types of dishes served in bowls and plates (as opposed to course-by-course meal favoured by Western and formal Chinese dining). In traditional Malay meal, usually one can find a few servings of meat and/or fish dishes (cooked in varying methods), accompanied by a few servings of vegetables, and not forgetting, a serving of 'ulam', consisting of raw or steamed vegetables or leaves (most of which are highly beneficial for health) which are usually dipped into 'sambal belacan'-made up of belacan (shrimp paste) blended with fresh chillies (the hotter the better), and/or with some anchovies and tamarind juice. Methods for preparing 'sambal belacan' may differ from one household to another, but when asked, most Malays would say that having 'ulam' and 'sambal belacan' is a must if they were to have an authentic Malay meal. Malay food is best eaten at roadside stalls, hawker centres or at home.

Examples of Malay food include:

• Satay is grilled meat on skewers served with slightly spicy peanut sauce
• Nasi lemak (literally rice with fat) is perhaps the unofficial national dish of Malaysia.
• Asam fish is fish cooked in a sauce of the asam (tamarind) fruit.
• Kangkung belacan is kangkung wok-fried in a pungent sauce of shrimp paste (belacan) and hot chilli peppers. Various other items are cooked this way, including petai and yardlong beans.
• Keropok lekor, a specialty of the state of Terengganu on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, is a savoury cake made from a combination of batter and shredded fish. It is eaten with hot sauce.
• Kuih is usually a desert.
• Ikan Bakar, grilled/bbq-ed fish with chilli sauce on top of pandan leaves. Best fish to use is stingray.
• Ketupat and rendang is the most delicious cuisine which is served normally on Hari Raya festival .

Indian food

The cuisine of the ethnic Indians in Malaysia differ quite a bit from its roots in mother India but remains essentially Indian.

• The majority of Indian cuisine in Malaysia is Southern Indian in origin.

Mamak food

Mamak (Indian Muslims) dishes have developed a distinctly Malaysian style.

• Roti canai is a thin bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet and served with condiments.
• Mamak rojak is a variant of rojak consisting of substantial ingredients like boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Also known as 'pasembur'.
• Maggi goreng is a dish of fried Maggi instant noodles with flavouring (usually curry), vegetables, egg, tofu and occasionally chicken.
• Nasi Kandar is white rice or briyani rice served with other dishes of curry either with chicken, fish, beef, or mutton and usually with pickled vegetables too. It is usually accompanied by some Papadums.
• Teh Tarik literally meaning 'pulled tea', is a well-loved drink amongst Malaysians. Tea is sweetened using condensed milk, and is prepared using out-stretched hands to pour piping hot tea from a mug into a waiting glass, repetitively. The higher the 'pull', the thicker the froth. The 'pulling' of tea also has the effect of cooling down the tea. Teh tarik is a form of art in itself and watching the tea streaming back and forth into the containers can be quite captivating.

Chinese food

Chinese food in Malaysia is derived from mainland Chinese cuisine but has been influenced by local ingredients and dishes from other cultures though it remains distinctly Chinese.

• Rojak (Chinese : 水果囉喏). A fruit salad with a topping of thick dark prawn paste.
• Hokkien Fried Mee (Chinese : 福建炒). A dish of thick yellow noodles fried in thick black soy sauce and pork lard which has been fried until it is crispy. This dish is served only in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Klang and Kuantan.
• Cantonese Fried Mee. Deep fried thin rice noodles served in a thick sauce. The sauce is cooked with sliced lean pork, prawns, squids and green vegatables such as choy sum.
• Sin Chow (Singapore) Fried Mee Hoon. Rice noodles stir fried with various ingredients such as barbequed pork, fish cake, carrots etc. Some restaurants may use different ingredients but the noodles should have the distinct Sin Chow Fried Rice Noodle taste. Popular in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. The American Chinese version uses curry powder.
• Ginger Duck Mee. Egg noodles cooked with duck stew. The duck is stewed with ginger in black sauce. This dish is available only from selected restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley as the duck stew can be cumbersome to prepare.
• Loh Mee. A bowl of thick yellow noodles served in soup made from egg, flour, prawn, squid and vegetable
• Hokkien Mee or Har Mee or Prawn Mee This is a bowl of yellow mee and meehoon (rice noodles) served in soup boiled from prawns, boiled egg, kangkong vegetable and chilli.
• Bak Kut Teh (Chinese : 肉骨茶). A soup cooked with herbs, garlic and pork ribs which have been boiled for many hours. In some towns, additional ingredients include sea cucumber and abalone.
• Penang Laksa (Chinese : 槟城叻沙). A bowl of thick white rice noodles served in a soup made of fish meat, tamarind, pineapple and cucumber in slices.
• Hainanese Chicken Rice (Chinese : 海南鸡饭). steamed chicken served with rice cooked in margarine or chicken fat & chicken stock and chicken soup. The rice is usually served in a bowl or a plate but in Malacca (a historical town), the rice is served in the form of rice balls.
• Ipoh Chicken Rice Similar to Hainanese chicken rice. The steamed chicken are served with light soya sauce flavoured with oil and with a plate of beansprouts.
• Char Kway Teow (Chinese : 炒稞条). Stir fried rice noodles with prawns, eggs (pork or chicken) and beansprouts. Usually, with an option of cockles as well.
• Curry Mee (Chinese : 咖喱麺). A bowl of thin yellow noodles mixed with beehoon (rice vermicelli) in spicy curry soup with coconut milk with dried tofu, prawns, cuttlefish, chicken, mint leaves and topped with a special sambal.
• Tong Sui (Chinese : 糖水), Chinese dessert with a lot of variety. Basically a sweet drink with different ingredients such as black beans, sea coconut, sweet potato, longan and others.
• Bread with curry chicken, chicken cooked in curry with a covering of bread. Found in the town of Kampar.
• Vegetarian dishes. In some towns in Malaysia, there are vegetarian restaurants that serve vegetarian dishes which resembles many meat dishes in look and even taste although they are made solely from vegetarian ingredients. You can get vegetarian roast pork, steamed fish with skin and bone, chicken drumstick complete with authentic looking bone, etc.
• Wanton Mee (Chinese : 云吞面), Chinese noodles with Chinese dumpling (Chinese : 云吞), and BBQ pork . Dumpling are usually made of Pork and/or prawns. The noodles may be served either in a bowl of soup with dumplings or on a plate with some dark soya sauce flavoured with oil and slices of roast pork and vegetable. For the latter, the dumplings will be served in a separate bowl with soup.
• Bakkwa (Chinese : 肉干), Known also as barbequed pork and it literally means dried meat. This delicacy is sold everywhere throughout Malaysia and is especially popular during the Chinese New Year celebrations period.

Nyonya food

Nyonya food was invented by the Peranakan people of Malaysia and Singapore. It uses mainly Chinese ingredients but blends them with South-East Asian spices such as coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, screwpine leaves, chillies and sambal. It can be considered as a blend of Chinese and Malay cooking.

Examples of Nyonya dishes include:

• Laksa lemak is a type of laksa served in a rich coconut gravy.
• Otak-otak is a fish cake grilled in a banana leaf wrapping. The town of Muar is famous for it.
• Ayam pongteh, a chicken stew cooked with tauchu and gula melaka that is sweetish
• Ayam buah keluak, a chicken dish cooked using the nuts from Pangium edule or the "Kepayang" tree, a mangrove tree that grows in Malaysia and Indonesia
• Cincalok, a distinctly Peranakan condiment made of fermented shrimp

Cross cultural influence

Being a multicultural country, Malaysians have over the years adapted each other's dishes to suit the tastebuds of their own race. For instance, Malaysians of Chinese descent have adapted the Indian curry, and made it more dilute and less spicy to suit their taste.

Chinese noodles have been crossed with Indian and Malay tastes and thus Malay fried noodles and Indian fried noodles were born.

Ramly burger is a favourite among those who love burgers the Malaysian way!

Other foods

Thai food also features strongly in Malaysian cuisine and localised versions of Thai favourites like tom yam are widely available. Smaller pockets of migrants such as Filipinos and Indonesians also have set up shop locally, catering mostly to their exclusive clientèle. In Kuala Lumpur and other major towns, one can find more restaurants serving Japanese, Korean, Italian, American and other international cuisines.

Desserts

Desserts in Malaysia tend to make use of generous amounts of coconut milk. Some common desserts include:

• Cendol. Smooth green rice noodles in chilled coconut milk and gula melaka (coconut palm sugar).

• Ais kacang (also known as air batu campur or just ABC. "Ais" is a Malay spelling of the English word "ice.") Sweet corn, red beans and cincau (grass jelly) topped with shaved ice, colourful syrups and condensed milk.

• Pulut hitam. Black glutinous rice porridge cooked with sago and served hot with coconut milk.

• Bubur cha cha. Yam and sweet potato cubes served in coconut milk and sago, served hot or cold.

• Honeydew sago. Honeydew melon cubes served in chilled coconut milk and sago.

A huge variety of tropical fruits are commonly served as desserts in Malaysia. The most famous is possibly the durian. Other popular fruits local to Malaysia include mango, pineapple, watermelon, jackfruit, papaya, langsat, rambutan, star fruit, banana and mangosteen.

See also

• Penang cuisine
• Ipoh cuisine
• Cuisine of Singapore
• Mamak stall

External links

• Asian Cooking Guide - Malaysian Cuisine
• Food in Malaysia
• MalaysianFood.net
• Fried Chillies
• Steamboat and other foods in Cameron Highlands Malaysia.
• Open Directory Project – Malaysian Cooking directory category
• Malaysian Cuisine Articles & Images
• BestFoodJunction Food Guide
• Eating Street Food in Malaysia Food Guide