Malaysia: Prosperous Entertaining
From ExecutivePlanet.com
Prosperous Entertaining
Food of Malaysia
The foods of Malaysia and Singapore have been influenced by the nations' histories and their diverse populations. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, and the indigenous peoples have exerted cultural influences over many aspects of their countries' development, including culinary traditions.
In today's marketplace, food can be ordered and eaten throughout the day and night at restaurants, coffee shops (kedai kopi in Malaysia), cafes, hawker centers or pushcarts.
In Malaysia, forks and spoons are generally used with meals
The Chinese typically use chopsticks and porcelain spoons.
Indians traditionally use the right hand to scoop up foods, which may be served on clean, fresh banana leaves.
Knives, which have been used as weapons throughout Malaysia's history and continue to symbolize aggression, are not usually placed on the dining table.
Rice
Rice, noodles and tubers with spices, dried seafood and coconut flavourings are the heart of Malaysian cuisines. A typical meal consists of steamed white rice or noodles with a variety of accompaniments. For locals, a meal without rice is incomplete and unsatisfying, for they believe that the grain nourishes body and soul.
Rice may be accompanied by curried chicken, braised lentils, shrimp sambal, grilled spicy fish, stir-fried or pickled vegetables, roasted pork, or rendang (a spiced, fiery beef dish).
Rice also can be a meal on its own, with accompanying condiments and garnishes.
We have tomato rice, congee (a porridge-like rice with pickled garnishes), Hainanese chicken rice (roasted or steamed chicken with a spicy ginger-based sauce), nasi kuning (yellow spiced rice), nasi bokhari (spicy pilaf-style rice), nasi ulam (rice with fresh herbs), and nasi lemak (made with coconut milk and pandan-leaf essence, which has a fragrant, sweet, vanilla/rose-like aroma).
Noodles
Noodles (called mee or meehoon) also are often at the center of the plate in Malaysia.
Noodle dishes tend to be accompanied by soups and fiery-hot condiments. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner or as snacks any time of day.
They can be stir-fried in a wok, stirred into soups or topped with sauces.
Favourite noodle fare includes laksa (Nonya-style fiery, soupy, curried rice noodles that are fish-broth- or coconut-based), mamak mee (Indian- or Muslim-style fried spicy noodles), mee rebus (Japanese-style stewed, spicy, turmeric-based wheat noodles), char kway teow (stir-fried, Cantonese-style rice noodles), meehoon (Chinese- or Indian-style, spiced, stir-fried rice vermicelli), clear noodle soups, Hokkien-style mee and curry mee.
Breads
Breads such as roti canai (a flaky, folded bread), paratha (a layered bread), roti jala (a lacy bread), chappati (a whole-wheat bread), puri (a puffed, fried bread), dosa (a flat, sour bread), idli (soft, dense, rice-based bread), and newcomers pita bread and tortillas are popular for breakfast, lunch, late suppers or snacks.
Fresh fruits
Papaya, mango, chiku, pineapple, durian, rambutan, banana and mangosteen are often eaten after meals as desserts.
Desserts
Chinese-style desserts incorporate a philosophy of symbolism and healing. Some of their favourite dessert ingredients are healthful herbs like ginseng and gingko, red bean, lotus seed, almond rice, sesame, melon, and water chestnut.
Malays make red, green or yellow glutinous rice, coconut-and-palm-sugar-based desserts.
Indian desserts are typically sweet, milky and nutty and are made with rice, lentil or semolina, ghee, milk and cardamom.
Flavoured ice creams such as mango, coconut, durian, pandan leaf and rambutan are popular as well. Additional chilly treats include ais kacang (shaved ice with local flavourings such as rose or pandan essence; coconut milk; condensed milk and lotus seed; and cendol (green noodle bits in coconut milk and palm sugar, topped with shaved ice).
Teh tarik ("pulled tea," drawn from the way it is prepared) is a sweet, frothy, milky tea that contains condensed milk and sugar.
