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Message from Malaysia, Mamy favorite food- PREX Island

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Message from Malaysia, Mamy favorite food

PREX has received a message from Malaysia.

We are very happy to receive letters from ex-participants.Here

Mr.Zahari Md Afandi
Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, Malaysia

Mamy favorite food

Malaysia is a country that is full of diversity. It has 3 main ethnics namely Malay, Chinese an Indian. Besides that, we also have minorities such as Bidayuh, Melanau, Portuguese, Siamese and others. Because of that, the foods in Malaysia are mixture from these origins. Talking about my favourite, top of the list is “Nasi Lemak”. The dish is considered the national dish and a national heritage of Malaysia. With roots in Malay culture, its name is a Malay word that literally means ‘fatty rice’. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. Sometimes screwpine (pandan) leaves are thrown into the rice while steaming to give it more fragrance. Spices such as ginger and occasionally herbs like lemon grass may be added for additional fragrance. Traditionally, this comes as a platter of food wrapped in banana leaf, with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sauce (sambal) at its core. As a more substantial meal, nasi lemak can also come with a variety of other accompaniments such as chicken, cuttlefish, cockles, beef rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices) or paru (beef lungs). Traditionally most of these accompaniments are spicy in nature.

Nasi Lemak

My second best choice is “Cendol”. The dessert’s basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, a worm-like jelly made from rice flour with green food coloring (usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and palm sugar. Next to these basic recipes, other ingredients such as red beans, glutinous rice, grass jelly, creamed corn, might also be included. In Malaysia, cendol is commonly sold on the roadside by vendors. It is also common to find cendol in dessert stalls, food centres, coffee shops and food courts. 

Cendol

My last pick is “Penang Laksa”. Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia. Penang Laksa, also known as asam laksa from the Malay for tamarind, comes from the Malaysian island of Penang. It is made with mackerel soup and its main distinguishing feature is the asam or tamarind which gives the soup a sour taste. The fish is poached and then flaked. Other ingredients that give Penang laksa its distinctive flavour include lemongrass, galangal (lengkuas) and chilli. Typical garnishes include mint, pineapple slices, thinly sliced onion, he-ko, a thick sweet prawn paste and use of torch ginger flower. 

Penang Laksa

  • Date : November 10, 2011
  • Name : Mr.Zahari Md Afandi