| | | | | | | | DELICIOUS CUISINE : | A Taste Of ASEAN |
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| | | In cities around the world you can find a great variety of foods, but Malaysia's multicultural culinary tradition is a mind-boggling daily choice. Each ethnic group has contributed to the nation's great gastronomic heritage. You can arguably try a different local dish daily for a year and still not have tasted all. Food outlets of all types and for all budgets are easy to find around Malaysia. Visitors will I be pleasantly surprised to discover that eating out here is easy on the pocket. Malaysia has a hugely varied national menu with Malay, Chinese, Indian and regional fusion recipes from across Asia. Within each ethnic type, every subgroup has its own differences, and among the indigenous groups there are particular specialties. Although rice is the staple diet, many dishes go with a different base such as flour. Generally, Malay and Indian cooking is spicier whereas Chinese food is milder on the palate. Japanese and Middle Eastern cuisine are increasingly popular while Western fare is not unfamiliar. | | | | MALAY | Spices play a huge part in not just Malay cuisine, but have also been a factor in Malaysian culinary history as part of the Spice Islands trade. Ingredients such as chill, black pepper, coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric, lemon grass, ginger and coconut milk are common. The regional influences of the Javanese, Thais and the Minang of Sumatra have contributed to the exciting range of cuisine. Signature Malay dishes | include Satay, the most loved eat-out dish *in Malaysia. Bite-sized marinated chicken or beef pieces on sticks are barbecued over charcoal fire. Satay is served with Ketupat (rice cubes), raw cucumber and onions all dipped in sweet spicy peanut sauce. Nasi Lemak is another national favourite especially for breakfast. Rice cooked in coconut milk is served with chili sambal, fried peanuts, anchovies, egg and cucumber slices. Nasi Goreng (fried rice) comes in many forms, while Nasi Dagang (fish curry) and Nasi Kerabu are traditional East Coast fare. Other typical Malay dishes include various Mee and Laksa (Malay Spagetti)noodles as well as soupy Lontong and Soto. A Malay delicacy not to be missed is Lemang or glutinous rice cooked in bamboo and eaten with Rendang spice-blended meats. | 
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| | | CHINESE Regional Chinese food from Cantonese to Hokkien to Szechuan are all common in Malaysia. Cantonese food is lighter and less greasy than the hot and sour flavoured  Szechuan style. Rice and noodles are the staple diet. Chinese restaurants in Malaysia also offer other specialties such as Peking duck and shark's fin soup. A popular choice is Dim Sum, a selection of steamed dishes such as dumplings, prawn bites and similar tidbits on small plates, served in little baskets which are presented from table to table. Choose as many plates as you like and later, the number of plates are tallied and billed accordingly. Yee Sang raw fish salad is a must during Chinese New Year. | | | | INDIAN | North Indian Mughal and South Indian fish head curries as well as a variety of Roti breads; all are readily available in Malaysia.The only thing common in this assortment | of Indian fare is the use of spices, with rice and flour breads as the staple. The simple but famed Roti Canai pancake bread from flour and ghee is a much loved dish in local Indian-Muslim restaurants, accompanied by Teh Tarik hot tea with milk and 'pulled' to mix and cool them - a national mainstay. In some restaurants, experience a novelty of having your food served on a banana leaf instead of a plate. From Penang comes the Nasi Kandar 'pole rice' from the way the spicy rice mixed dishes used to be balanced in containers hanging from a pole on the vendor's shoulder. Then there is the Rojak, which is a popular mixed salad served with peanut sauce and other ingredients. A Malay and Chinese variety is the Rojak Buah, or local fruit salad. |  |
| | | | | | VEGETARIAN DELIGHTS Malaysia is blessed with diverse cultures and a fertile land. Coupled with a tropical weather, this wonderful land of plenty produces a variety of exotic fruits and vegetables all year round. Thus the love for food is only natural and the results, are reflected in a wide array of’ tempting meals, including a fine spread of vegetarian cuisine. There are various types of vegetarian diets and preferences. Whichever vegetarian diet you may observe, you can be assured that the Malaysian vegetarian cuisine caters to all needs. For those who are not too particular, a wide range of vegetarian meals can easily be ordered in non-vegetarian restaurants. From small restaurants to gourmet offerings, Malaysian vegetarian food will carry you into new realms of epicurean delight. Savour nourishing, delicious meals of Indian, Chinese, Nyonya and Western origins throughout the country.
The Malaysian encounter will undoubtedly capture the imagination and entice all vegetarians by fulfilling individual needs, and the country will remain long in your memory as the vegetarian food paradise. | 
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| | | Malaysia is truly a beautiful and wonderful country. While enjoying the colourful sights and exotic cultures, the types of cuisine offered will leave a visitor spoilt for choice. This includes vegetarian cuisine with its fine culinary tradition. | | | | Chinese | The customs, traditions and celebrations brought by the early Chinese immigrants to Malaysia have been perpetuated over the years. Today, festivals such as Chinese New Year, Moon Cake Festival, Chap Goh Meh and Hungry Ghost Festival add colour to the Malaysian cultural scene. Each Festival offers its exclusive dishes with its own folklore.
Enjoying a wide popularity, the exquisite Chinese cuisine focuses on colour, aroma, taste and presentation. Mock meats made to resemble a variety of meat and seafood, are predominantly used in the Chinese vegetarian fare. They are made of soy, gluten (a mixture of protein found in cereal grains), mushroom and | 
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| seaweed. The delicate use of various spices and seasonings such as fresh ginger, garlic, chili pepper, rice wine, sesame oil and soy sauce among others enhance the flavour of the dish without overpowering the senses. Light soups, dim sums, a variety of noodle dishes and even steamboat make the Chinese cuisine a fare to look forward to with much relish. | | | | INDIAN | The Indians came in as traders in the 15th century and brought with them their rich culture as well as exquisite spices. The Indians celebrate Deepavali, Thaipusam, Ponggal and numerous other festivals with devotion and enthusiasm. Indian food is enjoyed by all races in the country. For its mouth-watering aroma and heady taste, this cuisine uses a unique blend of fine spices and diverse styles of cooking. Indian food is generally rich and satisfying. Much attention is also given to its savoury and sweet snacks. | 
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| | | Spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cumin and fenugreek are used to enhance the taste of food as well as for its holistic properties. Rice dishes such as briyani, anytime light meals consisting of poori, naan and dhasas as well as finger-licking curries will leave the palate craving for more. | | | NYONYA The Straits Chinese or Peranakan is a fusion culture that resulted from the intermarriage between the Malays and the early Chinese traders during the Malacca Sultanate. Apart from their speech and dressing, the Peranakan people are inherently Chinese, celebrating the same festivals as their Chinese cousins. | 
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| | | The Sino-Malay amalgamation has produced its own exotic cuisine called Nyonya’ food, which is relished by many. A mark of Nyonya culinary fare is the hours of care and preparation that go into making a delicious meal. The Nyonya cuisine uses a lot of pungent roots like galangal, turmeric and ginger, aromatic leaves like pandan and kaffir lime, along with candlenuts, shallots and lemongrass.
The hall mark of delicious Nyonya food are its Assam Pedas, the Nyonya kuihs and a variety of acar or pickles. | | | THAI Due to the proximity of Thailand to Malaysia, Thai food has made an impact on the Malaysian taste buds. The style of cooking in the northern Malaysian states of Perlis, Penang and Kedah is a testimony to the Thai influence.
A typical Thai meal combines a number of tastes that are hot, spicy, sweet and sour. | 
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| | | Thai food is usually stir-fried or steamed, though many cooking variations have been introduced to suit modern needs. Flavours from the Thai kitchen are enhanced with lime, lemongrass, tamarind, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, cilantro and green onions.
Tom Yam Koong, fresh savoury salads such as mango and papaya. and green curry arc taste explosions that titillate the senses of many. | | | | DELICIOUS CUISINE : | A Taste Of ASEAN |
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