Food lovers, or as many title themselves these days, “Foodies,” all must schedule in a trip to Malaysia. Yes, there are monkeys that swing from the trees and a beautiful backdrop of mountains wrapping around old architecture, but more importantly there is food – a lot of it.
Malaysia is a diverse country with an interesting history of how everyone has blended together to create a melting pot full of culture, all of which bring their own unique touch and traditional recipes. While in Malaysia you will find yourself surrounded by three major, authentic choices of cuisine:
Malay. Rich in spices and coconut milk and plentiful use of chili peppers, garlic and onions, traditional Malay offers dishes creamy dishes typically accompanied with rice. Nasi lemak is considered to be Malaysia’s national dish, which consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and a pandan leaf. A famous noodle dish which consists of mee (noodle, salt and egg) served with a tangy, spicy and sweet potato-based sauce is known as Mee rebus, which is also a must-try.
Indian. Both Northern and Southern Indian food has been adapted into Malaysian culture since the 19th century when Indian laborers migrated to work in rubber estates. Choose from an array of robust curries seasoned with coriander, turmeric and cumin, oven baked breads and traditional desserts. Don’t be shy and (literally) dig your hands into dishes such as Tandoori Chicken, Roti Canai and Mutton Kurma.
Chinese. In the 1800s, the Chinese immigrated to Malaysia through the South China Sea to provide a strong workforce in tin mining and with them they brought Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainanese, Teochew and Hakka styles of cooking. Compared to Indian and Malay dishes, Chinese cuisine is quite mild. Grab a pair of chopsticks and devour down Dim Sum (steamed pork, noodles and veggies), Peking Duck with rice or Hokkien Fried Mee, a thick egg noodle with seafood and vegetables. If you’re around during Mid Autumn or Mooncake Festival, be sure to have a celebratory cake filled with sweet bean pastes!
Now imagine an even further exhilarating experience for your taste buds – over the years Malaysians have been mixing the flavors of all three cuisines and have created fusions that can only be found there, hence why you need to visit Malaysia and eat their food!