Famed for being one of the top rated countries for food, Malaysia has every food item to satisfy even the most hardcore of foodies. Whether if
you are visiting because of the food or looking for something good to eat only the
locals know about, this list will cover the Top 5 dishes in Malaysia.
Whether if
you are visiting because of the food or looking for something good to eat only the
locals know about, this list will cover the Top 5 dishes in Malaysia.
NO 1. Nasi
Lemak
First up on our Malaysia food list is the nasi lemak. This is a
Malay traditional dish, consisting of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk or
in pandan leaf. The rice is accompanied by a few sides, typically egg,
anchovies, peanuts, and a good helping of sambal. Although simple, this dish
can have many variations, which are unique to the seller. Some of these
variations are
- Fried Chicken
- Squid
- Long bean
- Slices of beef
- Curry chicken
- Cabbage
- Fish
Of course
there are many more, but you get the gist. Nasi lemak is a certified must-try
for every aspiring traveler looking to try out Malaysia’s traditional cuisine.
NO 2. Bak
Kut Teh
This is a popular Chinese food, basically a pork rib dish boiled in broth made out of
herbs and spices. It’s history is very unique, as it is believed to have come
from the Fujian province in China. To eat this dish, it is recommended that you
go to Klang, a town famous for the dish.
The broth
made out of herbs and spices like star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui,
fennel seeds and garlic may seem unappetizing to you, and you might be right in
your hesitation. This dish takes a while to get used to, and some people may find
the herbal taste a bit hard to stomach at first. But once you have tried this
dish enough times, you will be addicted.
NO 3. Roti
Canai
Continuing
our journey into Malaysian cuisine, we find Roti Canai, a staple of Indian
cuisine. This dish is made by getting a palm sized piece of dough, kneading it
flat, then tossing it pizza style in order to further flatten it, folding it
up, and tossing in into a hot pan. This flaky finger food is served with dhal
(a mild curry), fish curry, and sambal.
Several
unique variations have been applied to this dish in order to variate the taste,
such as cooking with egg, cheese, onion, sardines, or even Milo, the chocolate
drink powder. Flaky and soft, it is eaten by Malaysians at almost every time,
every day.
NO 4. Laksa
A popular Malaysian food, laksa is a
spicy noodle dish popular in Nyonya cuisine. The dish tastes sour, yet spicy at
the same time. Laksa has two main ways to cook it, mainly Curry Laksa and Asam
Laksa.
In Curry
Laksa, the soup is coconut based with yellow noodles (commonly called beehoon).
Accompanying the dish are fish cakes, slices of pork meat, bean sprouts, and a
small teaspoon of sambal, to give it that extra kick.
In Asam
Laksa, the soup base is made out of tamarind and fish with thick white noodles.
Accompanying the dish are shredded fish, mackerel, finely sliced vegetables,
red chili, and petis udang, a shrimp paste.
No 5 Ais
Kacang
Once you
have had your fill eating all of these dishes, it’s time for a dessert, don’t you
think, enter the Musuem of Malaysian Desserts. In exhibit A, we find Ais
Kacang. Ais Kacang is a traditional Malaysian dessert, commonly known as ABC
(Air Batu Campur).
This dish
is basically shaved ice with toppings on top of it. Sellers can get very
creative when designing their own brand of Ais Kacang, so you may want to get
around and try different varieties. Here’s a quick list showing you the
toppings that can be found:
- Red beans
- Corn
- Longan
- Lychee
- Sago
- Honey
- Dragonfruit
- Aloe Vera
- Cendol
- Ice-cream