Food in Malaysia
 
Daily Life :: Food

Rice is the main food of most Malaysians. It is served with meat or fish, vegetables and fruits.

Food in Malaysia reflects its great ethnic diversity. For example,
  • (Malay) Satay: Small chunks of meat on a bamboo stick skewer, grilled over a charcoal fire, and dipped in hot peanut sauce served with ketupat, cucumber and onions

  • (Malay) Nasi lemak (pronounced NAH-see ler-MAHK): Rice cooked with coconut milk eaten with fried fish and anchovies, peanuts, eggs, cucumber and sambal

  • (Chinese) Steamboat: Thinly sliced meat, seafood, pork balls, cuttlefish balls and tofu cooked in a bowl of boiling soup set in the middle of the table

  • (Chinese) Ipoh kway teow: Smooth, translucent rice noodles served in a broth and garnished with shredded chicken and prawns

  • (Indian) Roti canai (pronounced ROH-tee cha-nye): A crisp and flaky pancake eaten with curry. A ball of dough is flattened, toss and flip repeated to create the flaky pancake. A popular breakfast food complemented with teh tarik.

  • Teh tarik = Pulled tea
    Teh tarik ("pulled tea") is the de facto national drink of Malaysia. The main ingredients are tea and condensed milk. The drink is prepared using a unique technique ... the tea is poured from a mug held high into another mug held low; it is poured back and forth to create a thick frothy top.

  • Durian: A fruit with edible custard-like flesh housed inside a formidable thorny husk. The fruit emits a smell which is considered putrid to some foreigners but fragrant to many locals. The taste of the flesh has been described as nutty and sweet.