Introduction To Malaysian Food

Malaysia is a country with rich culture. The population is made of mainly Malay, Chinese and Indians while the Borneo sub origins made out the most of west Malaysian population. Malaysian food, of course is very much reflective of the diversity of the people staying here. It doesn't take an adventurous traveler or food enthusiast to appreciate Malaysian food. There are just so much to choose from, whether traditional or modern cuisines, deem to satisfy the choosiest tastes buds. The staple food in Malaysia is rice, just like the other Asian countries. Due to its sunny weather all year round, fruits and vegetables are in abundance while meat, poultry and seafood is inexpensive and readily available. Malaysian food, just like its people, is divided into Malay, Chinese and Indian and is still prepared by their own unique ways. Malay food, in general is rich with herbs like lemongrass, tamarind, dried and fresh chilies, ginger and garlic. Malay food is commonly described as very spicy and with a number of spices and herbs. Malay dishes can be distinguished into a few methods of cooking namely masak merah (tomato sauce), masak lemak (coconut milk), masak asam (sourish tamarind) and masak pedas (spicy). Popular dishes that cannot be missed are such as nasi lemak (coconut milk steamed rice), sambal belacan (shrimp paste with pounded chilies), beef rendang (dried curry) and serunding (beef floss). Satay, or barbequs meat on a stick, is originated from Malay cuisine has presence in restaurants all over the world today. Rice is the main dish in a Malay meal. Most rice meals are eaten by simply using fingers, with eating utensils usually being used to spoon out the side dishes. Fish and other seafood are similarly important in Malay cooking. Beef is also popular as well but it is important to note that since the majority of Malays are Muslims, the issue of halal certification is very important in Malay cooking. Indian food was brought to this country by Indian traders and migrants have played an important role in Malaysian cuisine since the 19th century. Indian food in Malaysia is divided into two categories, namely the Southern and the Northern cuisine. Northern Indian cuisine is mostly rich in meat and heavier flavours. Some dishes can be made using other ingredients such as yogurt and ghee. Southern Indian cuisine uses coconut milk, mustard and chili. Spices are the core of Indian cooking with some commonly used spices being cumin, chili, fennel, fenugreek, turmeric, clove and cinnamon. An abundance of Indian restaurants and stalls are located around the country. To add to the uniqueness of the cuisine here, some Indian food is served on a banana leaf. With a banana leaf meal, white rice is served on a banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, curried meat or fish, pickles, and tasty papadom crisps. Popular for their curries, banana leaf rice and breads such as chapati, naan and roti (prata in some countries). Indian food has also been assimilated with Malay food through their mix marriages of Indian Malay. The resultant is Mamak food, which cannot be found in India, itself. Examples are like teh tarik (tea with milk), murtabak and rojak (mixture of fruits with peanut sauce). Chinese food, like Indian food, has been assimilated with local cuisines. In China itself, Chinese are divided into so many provinces namely the Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien, Hainan, Teochew and so forth. In Malaysian, Cantonese food makes the most presence with its stir fry and steaming method. Chinese dishes such as dim sum, sweet and sour dishes, char siew (sweet barbecued pork),bak kut teh (herbal soup) are a few popular dishes. Steamboat or fondue is also widely available and can be a great experience. Another famous Chinese cuisine is Szechuan food, Shanghai food as well as Peking cuisine. Szechuan cuisine is known for its high levels of spice, with a lot of garlic and chili. Beijing cuisine, famous for the Peking duck, is a bit less intrusive than Szechuan food. It is mostly eaten with a hot steamed bun, noodles or rice. Shanghai cuisine is not widespread throughout Malaysia. Hakka and Hainan cuisine are a lot more easily found in food centres around major cities. Popular dishes include the Yong Tau Foo (stuffed seafood), Popiah (traditional spring rolls) and Char Kuey Teow (fried noodles with shrimp, eggs, and bean sprouts).

  

   By: Sum Shu Xian