Like Singapore, Malaysia is a fusion and cultural blend of Southeast Asian countries, especially the culinary "remnants" that Chinese, Indian and Arab traders left behind over the past 2,000 years.
Traditional Chinese steamed buns are sold at a stall in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur.
If you visit Malacca - an ancient spice trading port located on the west coast of Malaysia, try dishes that combine Chinese and Indian ingredients in the Malay style, typically the dishpopiah- Chinese spring rolls stuffed with Malay peanut sauce.
Popiah dish
In Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's largest city, the culinary identity of the capital's 3 million residents is shaped by three ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese and Indian. You definitely cannot miss nasi lemak - a delicious Malay-style coconut rice dish with ginger flavor in the central area of Kampung Baru.
Nasi lemak
Alternatively, visit Brickfields to enjoy the authentic flavours of South India or enjoy a fusion of all three flavours – Malay, Chinese and Indian – in a unique dish called kare laksa – voted one of the best dishes in the world.
Kare Laksa
Meanwhile, in George Town - a city on a small island in Malaysia, you will be immersed in street food with South Asian culinary flavors that have reached the pinnacle!
It can be said that street food here has been raised to an art form. Just visit a center where about 300 street vendors with small stalls gather, you will find countless unique specialties of this land of palm hills. The most typical is Ketam lada hitam (black pepper crab), a specialty most easily found at street stalls. The dish has the flavor of ginger, fresh turmeric and black pepper.
Ketam lada hitam
Another equally famous dish is the grilled meat skewers, a street food that is said to have originated in 8th-century Arabia. In particular, the sauce for this dish is a blend of Malay favorite spices and flavors including: coriander, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic and chives.
And here are some tips when traveling to Malaysia to make your culinary journey more complete:
Time
The weather here is warm all year round and there are two distinct rainy seasons: in April - May and in October - November there will be occasional storms but usually they do not last long.
How long?
A month is ideal, but a two-week trip is just right.
Move
Within Malaysia, you can choose to travel by train or bus. If you are going to Penang, you can catch a ferry at Butterworth.
Note
Most of the food here is meant to be eaten with your hands, using your fingertips to pick up each bite. The only exception to using chopsticks is when eating noodles.
