Top foods to try in Malaysia

Malaysian cuisine is world-renowned for its unique flavors. Most visitors to Malaysia come back raving about the incredible flavors and tastes of native Malaysian fare. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society and its national fare is an amalgamation of Indian, Chinese and native Malay cuisines. In fact, Malaysian cuisine provides adequate representation to the country’s rich cultural diversity.

When visiting Malaysia, visitors are told there are some native foods that they simply ‘must try’. Listed below are some of these perennial favorites.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak, a classic Malaysian breakfast dish is a staple offering at both high end eateries as well as street side stalls. This dish consists of rice cooked in coconut cream and steamed in pandan(screw pine) leaves for enhanced flavor. Nasi Lemak is usually served with various accompaniments like acaar(pickled vegetables), ikan bilis (anchovies), slices of boiled egg, peanuts and a sambal(a chili and garlic paste). Aside from these accompaniments, a dish of Nasi Lemak also features a serving of meat, fish or poultry preparation like the popular Malaysian curry, beef rendang.

 

Roti Canai

The origins of the dish known as Roti Canai can be traced to Malaysia’s Indian immigrants who were brought by the British to work on palm oil and rubber plantations in the early 20^th century. The Malaysian roti seems to have been derived from the Indian bread called ‘paratha’ in fact the Malaysian version is known as ‘pratta’ and is flakier than the original. This roti is usually served with a dipping sauce, which consists of a chicken curry. However, the Malaysians have further modified the roti to meet local tastes, for it is often stuffed with fillings like eggs, sardines and even popular fruits like banana and durian. Roti Canai is a popular as a late night snack as well as a breakfast food for it was originally consumed by plantation workers before they began their work day.

Ikan Bakar

Ikan Bakar is a popular lunch time treat and features fish or seafood which is wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled over a charcoal fire. Ikan Bakar is usually served with a tamarind based dipping sauce called air asam.

 

 

 

 

 

Satay

Satay features skewers of barbecued meat (chicken, beef or lamb), which are traditionally served with a peanut based dipping sauce, along with other accompaniments like ketupat (rice dumplings of Indonesian origin),onions and cucumber.
Malaysian satays

Laksa

Laksa is considered to be the icon of Malaysian cuisine. Born out of the mingling of Malay and Chinese cultures, the Laksa has various interpretations. Every region in Malaysia has its own version of this flavorful noodle soup, though perhaps the most famous version is the spicy, sour, fish- based Asam Laksa which hails from Penang.

 

 

 

Nasi Kandar

Nasi Kandar is rice-based dish features steamed or flavored rice, offered with an assortment of curries like fish head curry, fried fish roe, okra curry and so forth.

Rojak

 For instance a fruit Rojak generally features cubed cucumbers, pineapples, bean sprouts and tofu fritters tossed together with a sauce made with tamarind, chili, sugar and shrimp paste while an Indian or Mamak Rojak features various components dough fritters, cubed potatoes, cucumbers, bean sprouts and more tossed together in a peanut based sauce.
Rojak is a tangy Malaysian salad, which is a popular lunch or teatime treat. There are various different versions of Rojak to be found all over the country.

Cendol and Ais Kacang

Malaysia, being a tropical country is hot and humid all year round. Hence Malaysian deserts typically feature a generous amount of ice to help combat the year round stifling heat. Cendol and Ais Kacang, are two popular refreshing Malaysian deserts which feature generous amounts of ice along with various other ingredients like coconut milk, grass jelly, gelatin, palm sugar, palm seed and more.

Halal food in Malaysia

Multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Malaysia has a population composed of a significant Muslim majority. It is no wonder then that the country is a major producer of Halal foods. In fact, Malaysia’ s certification of halal food products dates back to as early as the 1960’s, and the country, today has well developed and efficient system, which regulates the domestic food industry to ensure that it is in line not only with Shariah requirements, but also conforms to guidelines for hygiene, sanitation and safety standards.

Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has been responsible for the standardization of halal certifications in the country since August 2009. The  organization produces a regularly updated halal directory, which is essentially  is a compilation of information on food and beverage manufacturing companies, food premises, hotels, consumer products and slaughter houses which bear the JAKIM halal certification. This helps Muslim consumers in Malaysia easily identify and consume halal food products. Malaysia has also introduced various food production standards like MS 1500, MS 1480 and MS 1514, which prescribe guidelines for the Malaysian food production industry on the preparation and handling of halal foods.

In Malaysia, restaurants serving halal food sport easily spotted certifications to help inform Muslim customers and guide them in their choices. Similarly, meat products sold at the country’s many supermarkets are also clearly labeled as ‘halal’ and ‘non-halal’ in order to avoid confusion and misinformation. The global halal meat market volume has grown to be worth a gargantuan $300 billion and Malaysia with its well-developed standards and regulation for the production, storage, handling and serving of halal foods hopes to soon be a major player in this rapidly growing market.

The term ‘Halal’, ‘Guaranteed Halal’ or ‘Muslim Food’ essentially means:-

·         The food is not derived from or consists of any part of or item from animals that are forbidden for Muslim consumption by Islamic law or even animals that have not been slaughtered according to Islamic law.

·         Moreover, ‘halal’ food does not contain any substance considered impure according to Islamic law.

·         The ‘Halal’ food is prepared, processed or manufactured using equipment or utensils free from impurities as defined by Islamic law

·         The preparation, processing or storage of halal food has not been contaminated taking into account the above guidelines.

The Islamic tourist industry is growing rapidly. However, Muslims visiting Malaysia should not be worried about locating halal food in Malaysia, for it is widely available in every part of the country.