Cuisine—Malaysia
Malaysian cuisine reflects the rich multicultural heritage of the nation. When the port sultanate of Malacca (1400–1511) was founded, it attracted traders from both the East and West. Later culinary traditions were brought by Portuguese (1511–1641), Dutch (1641–1876), and English (1876–1957) colonists, as well as merchants from China, India, Saudi Arabia, and the Indonesian archipelago.
The dietary staples of rice and noodles reflect in part geography and native plant life, while the spice trade left an indelible impression on present-day tastes. The cuisines of Malaysia's three main ethnic groups, the Malays, Chinese, and Indians, form the core of Malaysian cuisine.
Various manifestations of rice dishes abound, and accompanying dishes are highly spiced in traditional Malay cuisine. Coconut cream features prominently. Malay food is ever evolving as old recipes for curries, sambals (spicy chili-pepper-based paste), and chutneys (spicy fruit- or vegetable-based paste) reappear. The best-known forms of Malay cuisine are satay, meat kebabs served with a spicy peanut sauce, cucumbers, onions, and rice cooked in coconut fronds; and nasi lemak, rice cooked in coconut cream and served with various condiments.
Malaysian Chinese cuisine can be categorized as Cantonese, Hainanese, Hakka, or Hokkien. Again,rice and noodles are staples in the offerings of one-dish meals. Seafood and vegetables as well as meats are served with rice, and noodles are prepared in many different ways. Notables include hawker fare from the northern island-state of Penang and Cantonese offerings in the Klang Valley situated in the state of Selangor, and the city of Ipoh in the state of Perak.
A Malaysian steamed fish dish served in Penang in 2001. (MACDUFF EVERTON/CORBIS)Indian food, contrary to popular belief, is not always spicy. Vegetarian offerings are plentiful in Malaysian Indian cuisine, and the most popular dishes include rice with various curries served on a section of banana leaf, in south-Indian style. Indian-style breads are numerous, among them roti canai (local name for paratha, a crispy bread with several thin layers), chapati (a thicker whole-wheat bread), nan (a thick bread of northern Indian origin), and thosai (a thin pancake made from the paste of ground lentils). Styles of preparations of accompanying dishes differ according to India's various regions and states, and there are distinctions between Indian Muslim and South Indian cuisines.
Overall, with constant exposure to cuisine from around the world, Malaysia's cuisine goes through a continual process of metamorphosis. The rise in "self-consciousness" about Malaysian cuisine also plays a large role in its evolution, exemplified by the plethora of Malaysian cookbooks and the mushrooming of Malaysian restaurants in Western cities during the last decade.
Mark Stephan Felix
Further Reading
Hutton, Wendy, ed. (1995) The Food of Malaysia: Authentic Recipes from the Crossroads of Asia. Intro. by Wendy Hutton. Singapore: Periplus Editions; Watsonville, CA: Crossing Press.
Leinbach, Thomas R., and Richard Ulack. (2000) South East Asia Diversity and Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Malaysian Festival Cuisine. (1995) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Berita.
Marks, Copeland. (1997) The Exotic Kitchens of Malaysia. New York: Donald I. Fine Books.
Traditional Malaysian Cuisine. 1983) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Berita.
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