Food Hunters for travelers in Malaysia

By Robby Iqmar

People are usually connected to their cultural or ethnic group through similar food eating patterns. Immigrants often used food as a type of retaining their cultural identity so that they knew and everyone around them are aware about their cultural. People from different culture backgrounds would definitely eat different types of food. They do not just eat different type of food but the ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques and types of food are also different among other cultures. The environment also influences people to choose whether they like or dislike the taste of food.

Malaysian are blessed with various types of food because Malaysia is a multiracial country where they can taste and eat all the wonderful various types of food that comprise of Malay, Chinese and Indian elements. These are the three dominant races in Malaysia. However, Malaysia's ethnic diversity is apparent in food prohibitions: The Muslims are forbidden to eat pork which is a favourite of the Chinese population; the Hindus do not eat beef; some of the Buddhists are vegetarian. Alcohol consumption also separates non-Muslims from Muslims.

So here I want to share something with all the food hunters that travel to Malaysia about the local food. The only one that will make you elevate from being a tourist to becoming a genuine food hunter immersed the local culture is to “stay away from Mc Donalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). When you are visiting Malaysia, there are a lot awesome local dishes to try in every state of Malaysia. The local foods are well known in their states. You just need to head on to the local eateries too, and go where the locals go. tThis will be your great experience as food hunters who travel in Malaysia.

            Here I want to share with all the food hunters about the food from every different state in Malaysia from the peninsular states which consist of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor. And of course the food from the Borneo side of Malaysia which consist of Sarawak and Sabah.

Here I want to share a little bit about Perlis and the great food. As the smallest state in Malaysia, Perlis is located at the far northern part of Peninsular Malaysia sharing the border with Thailand. The capital of Perlis is Kangar. Many tourists will stop by Perlis for a short visit before heading to Pulau Langkawi. Although it is a small state, there are a lot of attractions for sight-seeing with beautiful sceneries and not to forget some great food worth trying. The food that will always pop up in the local minds when they hear Perlis are Harum manis mongo, Sira berlinggai and Pekasam.

         The Harum Manis Mango is one of the main products of Perlis. In Perlis they have a Harum manis mango farm that is located in the Bukit Bintang area near Sungai Batu Pahat. The Harum manis mango can only be enjoyed for a limited period of time which is around March until June. If you want to try Harum manis, make sure to visit Malaysia during that time so that you can taste the sweetness of the fruit that is different from other mangoes that you have ever tried.

            These foods are traditional food for the local population of Perlis. The Belinggai fruit will ripe during the summer or 'eastern wind'. At this time farmers in the state of Perlis use the fruit to make sira called “Sira belinggai”. The belinggai fruits have hard skin, so they need to be peeled and contents removed. Belinggai is then mixed with coconut milk to make sira. Sira belinggai is usually eaten in the evening and is very tasty when mixed with flakes or ringgi. As for the ringgi the ingredient used is glutinous rice pounded until thin and hung on a line to dry. This traditional food will come around once a year only.

            Usually people have heard about the fermented soybean that made to be tempe but people hardly mention fermented fish or shrimp or beef which is called Pekasam. In Perlis, pekasam that are made from fish are more well known than the pekasam that are made from shrimp or beef. Usually freshwater fish such as puyu, Javanese carp, perch and tilapia used to prepare pekasam. Pekasam are available through the fermentation process of fish mixed with salt, fried rice powder and can also be included tamarind and palm sugar. The fish Pekasam is usually fried and eaten with rice as lunch or dinner meal. Some are eaten with steamed glutinous rice. The taste is very astonishing, if you have not tried it yet, then you should try one cause it is just so good until you want to lick your fingers after eating it and when you eat it you will become speechless.

            Next state that I want to share is Kedah. Kedah is located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice. The state's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in Anak Bukit. Other major towns include Sungai Petani, and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Langkawi. The foods that I want to share are popular in Kedah and you can get almost everywhere there. The well-known foods are Laksa Kedah, Nasi Ulam, Pulut inti, and Tapai pulut.

            Laksa Kedah consists of rice noodles and it is eaten with fish curry, cucumber and onion. It is also extremely tasty and made with exotic herbs, spices, vegetables and other ingredients. It is spicy and sour at the same time and it is great with a hard boiled egg but if you are a person that cannot stand spicy food you can always ask them to reduce the heat for you.

            Nasi Ulam is a traditional Kedah food that is really popular among the old folks. It is also popular to those who are vegetarian. The ulam or in English vegetables are Selom leaves, Cenehom leaf, Janggus Shoots, Tumeric Shoots, Cemumar, Pennywort, Kadoku putat, King fish and any kind of herbs and vegetables according to our taste.

            Pulut Inti is a kuih or a simple dessert that is wrapped with banana leaf. You can easily buy this dessert almost everywhere in Kedah. The Pulut Inti is packed into cute pyramids using the banana leaf. Pulut Inti is actually glutinous rice topped with sweet coconut.

If you can’t get enough glutinous rice here is some good news which are Tapai Pulut or Fermented Glutinous Rice is made wrapped with banana leaf. The glutinous rice needs to be cooled before it is wrapped with banana leaf, in order to make it juicier and tastier. The taste of Tapai Pulut is actually sweet and sour. For better taste eat the Tapai Pulut with vanilla ice cream.

                 Next state is Penang. Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Penang is bordered by Kedah to the north and the east, and Perak to the south. Penang is a state that is dominated by the Chinese and Indians, you can see a lot of Chinese and Indian local dishes on every corner of Penang The food that I want to recommend when you go to Penang are Rojak Penang, Char koew teow Penang, and Indian butter chicken.

Penag rojak is different than any other rojak in Malaysia, I hope you are not to be confused with rojak mamak, Penang rojak is typically referred to the mixed fruit salad. The biggest novelty here is the “har koh” or better known as prawn/shrimp paste. It has to be thick, dark and flavourful, since watery version is going to make your rojak turns into a sad-looking snack. Of course, no rojak would be complete without a few sprinkles of chopped or crushed peanuts to fulfil this delicious fruity snack.

Char Kuey Toew is fried flat noodles which have a great fragrance, the noodles are greasy, it is scrumptious and it is oily. It is a comfort food that is well loved by the locals. The ingredients are pretty standard: it’s either chicken or duck egg, flat noodles, soy sauce, bean sprouts, chives, cockles and prawns. But what makes Penang char kuey teow such a beloved favourite is the way the dish being stir-fried in a wok over a high heat. It’s commonly served over a slice of banana leaf.

Indian Butter Chicken is different from the Chinese butter chicken because it is a little bit spicy compared to the sweet Chinese butter chicken. So you got to pick your choice of naan or rice to accompany this rich platter of poultry goodness. Trust me, the taste gets better each time you alternate between the two. Only with a full (like, really full) stomach are you able to resist another mouthful of this dish. Specially prepared and marinated every day, this particular butter chicken differs from the rest with its unique vibrant colour. A result of the blend of ingredients used and mixed among others, perhaps a pinch of salt and a lot of love.

Next are Perak. Perak is a state in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. The capital city Ipoh is known for its British colonial landmarks, including a baroque railway station. Sam Poh Tong is a huge Buddhist cave temple filled with wall paintings. The town of Gopeng is a base for rafting on the Kampar river. Off the west coast, the resort island of Pulau Pangkor has forested hills and the ruins of a 17th-century Dutch fort. The foods that I want to share are Ipoh White Coffee and the bean sprout chicken with Sar Hor Fun (rice noodles).

If you need a coffee break, well -  Ipoh, Perak is the place you need to go. Ipoh ‘white’ coffee is a popular coffee drink which originated in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. The coffee beans are roasted with palm oil margarine, and the resulting coffee is served with condensed milk. Traditionally, Malaysian style ‘black’ coffee roast (Kopi-O) is produced by roasting the beans with sugar, margarine and wheat. ‘White’ coffee, on the other hand, is produced with only margarine and without any sugar, resulting in a less dark roast.

The famous dish in Ipoh is the bean sprout chicken with Sar Hor Fun (rice noodles). It is a very simple dish to prepare, all you need is patience. The chicken is cooked using the same technique as Hainan Chicken. It is poached in a water bath then quickly dunked into cold water to stop the cooking process to retain its juicy smoothness texture. As for the bean sprout, it will only need to be blanched no more than 10 seconds, then drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce, and a smidge of white pepper for bit of kick. Another characteristic of this dish is the rice noodle. Its slightly translucent look and superb slippery smooth texture swimming in a sweet broth that has been boiled overnight using chicken carcasses is what make this dish popular with the locals.

Next is Kelantan, which is a rural state in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia. Kota Bharu, the riverside capital, is home to royal palaces like the wooden Istana Jahar. Sultan Ismail Petra Arch is an ornate timber structure with Islamic inscriptions. The central market, Pasar Siti Khadijah, is crowned by a glass dome. Balai Getam Guri village is known for its handicrafts, including silverware, batik and embroidery. The famous foods in Kelantan are Nasi Dagang, Ayam percik and Nasi Kerabu.

If you want to have a great breakfast like the locals you should definitely try nasi dagang. Nasi Dagang has been one of the top breakfast choices of locals in Kelantan harking back to the early “trading” years. ‘Beras nasi dagang’ is steamed with coconut milk, which results in a semi-glutinous texture, served with a choice of gulai ikan tongkol (local tuna fish curry) or gulai kawah (beef curry) and other accompaniments. The gulai ikan is also known as gulai darat that is made especially for nasi dagang. The curry is cooked using coconut milk together with various traditional spices such as turmeric, lemongrass, chilli paste, and more. The aroma wafting from a freshly prepared serving of nasi dagang will lure you in for another serving!

Ayam Percik or chicken grilled are one of the Malaysian favourite foods, the malay-style grilled chicken originated from Kelantan. Garlic, ginger, salt, sugar, and soy sauce are used to marinate and enhance the flavours of the chicken before it is skewered and sent to the grill. The use of traditional Malay spices like lemongrass, turmeric leaves, tamarind juice, and cumin powder in the making of the ayam percik gravy complements the chicken perfectly and makes for a delectable dish when served with steaming hot rice.

The blue-coloured rice of nasi kerabu is not the result of artificial colouring of course. Instead, it is derived from the petals of a blue-coloured flower - kembang telang - during the cooking process. Paired with fried chicken or curry fish, cabbage, bean sprouts, various herbs, and fish fried with coconut flakes, it’s a true Kelantanese favourite. Eat it as locals do which is drizzle some budu (fermented fish sauce) over the rice for an extra dose of flavour once you’ve finished the sides.

Next is Terengganu which is situated in eastern Peninsular Malaysia, and is bordered in the northwest by Kelantan, the southwest by Pahang, and the east by the South China Sea. Several outlying islands, including Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Kapas and Pulau Redang, are also a part of the state. Apart of that Due to its close proximity to Southern Thailand Terengganu food has influences of Thai culture and taste. Terengganu has abundance of rice based dishes and dining out is relatively inexpensive as there are plenty of choices ranging from hotel food to hawker food. What is often heard as the Terengganu’s representative food is Keropok Lekor (fish crackers).

If you want a scrumptious snack well this is what you are looking for when you come to Terengganu. Lekor or Keropok lekor is a traditional Malay fish cracker snack originated from the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. It is also called fish sausage, fish stick, or fish fritters. It is made from fish and sago flour and seasoned with salt and sugar.

Next is Selangor, a state on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, encircling the capital Kuala Lumpur. In the state capital, Shah Alam, the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque has 4 soaring minarets and a huge blue dome. To the northeast are the limestone Batu Caves, which house ornately decorated Hindu shrines. A large golden statue of the Hindu god Lord Murugan stands at the entrance, and monkeys scamper about. Well if you come and visit Selangor you can get almost all the food around the world and all the food that is from different states in Malaysia but the only risk is questioning the authenticity of the taste, really.

Next state is Pahang. Pahang is a large state in Peninsular Malaysia. It's known for its mountains, rainforests and beaches, including the white sands and coral reefs of Tioman Island off the east coast. The state capital, Kuantan, is a major seaport. In the west, the gentle hills of the Cameron Highlands include resorts, tea plantations and terraced farms, and the village of Fraser’s Hill resembles an English hamlet.

Tempoyak ikan patin or in English it is called as fermented durian paste with fish Patin. Well if you are an outsider you will definitely never taste or never heard of fermented durin before. Well the Malays made the tempoyak from the fermented durian, it is by taking the flesh of durioan and micx it with salt and keep it in the room temperature for three to five days. It is an ingredient for cooking gulai tempoyak ikan patin. Tempoyak is very popular in Pahang.

Nasi Kebuli is considered a heritage dish of the Kuala Lipis district, nasi kebuli is made of rice cooked with coconut oil mixed with chicken (sometimes substituted with lamb or mutton), raisins, olives, clovers, olives, and lemongrass to give it an aromatic smell. The dish is typically served during special occasions, but you may find it in some Malay restaurants, eateries, or food stalls in Pahang.

Negeri Sembilan is a Malaysian state on the Malay Peninsula's southwest coast, known for its beaches, nature parks and palaces. To the west, on the Malacca Strait, the area around Port Dickson has seaside resorts, the Wan Loong Chinese Temple and the Kota Lukut hilltop fort. South along the coast, in the neighboring state of Malacca, is Cape Rachado (Tanjung Tuan), a nature reserve with a lighthouse. If you went to Negeri Sembilan you really need to taste ‘Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Api’ and ‘Sambal Tempoyak Daun Kayu’.

Negeri Sembilan is a very special state with a strong Minangkabau culture. Masak Lemak Cili Api is recipes that can satisfy many tastes especially ‘Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Api’. Masak Lemak Cili Api trademark of Negeri Sembilan cuisine. The yellow colour of the gravy comes from the addition of fresh turmeric. Chillies give this dish plenty of heat. Eat it with rice for a satisfying lunch.

Sambal Tempoyak Daun Kayu is a fantastic Negeri Sembilan dish. It is made from finely shredded tapioca and turmeric shoots, some petai and pumpkin that is cooked with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, coconut milk, turmeric and chili padi pounded together. The original recipe would contain more than 40 types of leaves and plants, including some rare species such as the Pucuk Lidah Kerbau, Sulur Keladi Birah, Pucuk Tetek, Pucuk Pelanduk and Pucuk Sekentut. Sambal Tempoyak Daun Kayu usually server with steamed rice.Negeri Sembilan is rich with delicious dishes such as Kerabu (a kind of spicy salad), Sambal Belimbing (star fruit Sambal), Sambal Tempoyak (fermented durian Sambal), duck egg cooked with coconut milk and hot chilies, hot and sour yams.

Next is Melaka which is located in southwestern Malaysia. At its center, Jonker Street, Chinatown’s main thoroughfare, is known for antique shops and its night market. Nearby, the 17th-century Chinese Cheng Hoon Teng temple has ornate decorations and multiple prayer halls. A green, 3-tiered roof tops the 18th-century, Javanese-influenced Kampung Kling Mosque. It is not only known for the history, Melaka also are known for their delicious foods which are chicken rice ball, asam pedas ikan, and the famous coconut shake.

Chicken Rice Ball is a dish of Chinese origin, and is most commonly associated with Hainanese. Here in Melaka, you’ll find something that is not commonly available in other parts of Malaysia, the chicken rice ball. The rice is first boiled in chicken soup with other seasonings. When cooked, it is rolled in a ball that gives the unique look and texture. Ideal for breakfast and lunch, these chicken rice balls are served are like your typical chicken rice dish, except that the chicken served is only steamed and the rice comes in a golf-sized ball shapes. A word of warning though, although they may look cute, the rice balls are still essentially the same type of food you put in bowls. So for those on a diet, you might want to watch how many of those balls you stuff into your mouth!

Asam Pedas - the main ingredients of this dish is fish/seafood, ladyfinger, eggplant, long green bean and tomato. This dish is cooked in asam (tamarind) juice with chili and different spices. The cooking process involves soaking the pulp of the tamarind fruit until it is soft and then squeezing out the juice for cooking the fish/seafood. This is the signature dish of the state. A very hot and mild sour fish curry making it very appetizing and is best to go with white rice. You can eat it during lunch and dinner.

Malacca’s own brand of thirst quencher is its special coconut shake, and it isn’t hard to see why it‘s a favourite. Only available in Klebang Beach, the shake is an ingenious drink made with everything coconut which are the coconut water and flesh gets blended with ice to produce it, and if you need something sweet, you can opt for a dollop of vanilla ice-cream on top. The queue for this delicious drink can be insane, but it’s definitely worth the wait. A refreshing treat, especially on a hot sunny day!

Next state is Johor. Johor is a state in southern Malaysia linked to Singapore by causeways, is known for beaches and rainforest. Desaru Beach has a strip of resorts, while Endau Rompin National Park's mountainous jungle shelters waterfalls and wildlife like elephants. Capital Johor Bahru's diverse history is reflected in the Victorian-era Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque and Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, a glittering Hindu shrine. Johor is known as a food of heaven. Here I wanted to share about “Kacang Pool”, “Laksa Johor”, and “Mee Bandung Muar”

“Kacang Pool” is now a trend in Johor in western culture, it is similar to chilli and it is served with a thick slice of buttered toast and a slice of lime with a sunny side up egg. To describe it, this food is very popular among the locals in Johor and the best place to get it is at Larkin.

“Laksa Johor” is like most of the laksa in Malaysia however the speciality of “laksa Johor” is that they use spaghetti pasta instead of the usual rice noodles. The locals usually eat laksa johor with their hands instead of using fork and spoon. They usually cook it during the Raya holidays.

Mee Bandung Muar, is different from the usual mee bandung because the speciality is the gravy and the mixture of meat and prawn. If you go to Muar you can get mee bandung Muar all over the place.

Next State is Sabah. Sabah is a Malaysian state occupying the northern part of the island of Borneo. It's famed for its 4,095m-tall Mount Kinabalu, the country’s highest peak, crowned with distinctive granite spires. Sabah is also known for its beaches, rainforest, coral reefs and abundant wildlife, much of it within parks and reserves. Offshore, the Sipadan and Mabul islands are noted diving destinations. The top three food that locals in Sabah love to eat are Sinalau Bakas, Ambuyat Sabah and Nasi Kuning Sabah.

Smoked wild boar or well known as Sinalau Bakas is a non-halal food that you can find in Sabah when you are travelling from Kota Kinabalu to Kundasang. On this road you will find Dusun food which is Sinalau Bakas. It is actually the same concept when you are having a BBQ with meat but this is wild boar. The meat is very spicy in a traditional herbal way. It is served with traditional chili sauce.

If you come to Sabah you really need taste the traditional food which is Ambuyat. The locals really love to eat this food. This dish is actually made from sagu rumbia which is from the tree trunk of Rumbia tree. Ambuyat is really good to eat with steam turmeric fish with lime and some chili if you want to eat it to be spicy. The local also eat ambuyat with the curry. They eat ambuyat using chopsticks.

If you want to experience a great breakfast in Sabah you definitely need to try “Nasi Kuning & Sambal ikan” or in another words is yellow rice with fish chili paste. If you have heard of Nasi Lemak or coconut rice in Malaysia, well this actually the same concept for the locals in Sabah the differences is that they use turmeric to made the rice yellow. It is easy to get this food all around Sabah.

The last state that I wanted to share is Sarawak. Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo, stretches along the island’s northwest coast, including many beaches on the South China Sea. It's known for the rugged, dense rainforest of its interior, much of it protected parkland. The capital, Kuching, is a bustling city set on the Sarawak River. Its 19th-century landmarks include the Astana, former palace of the White Rajahs, and Fort Margherita, built to thwart pirates. I wanted to share three of the foods that you must try if you go to Sarawak.

You are lost if you come to Sarawak and do not taste Sarawak Layer Cake. Even among locals, Sarawakian layer cake is the item most likely to be asked to be bought if people find out you’re going to Sarawak. There is variety of choices in colours and flavours of the cake.

Next is kolok mee, kolok mee is good to eat at any time either breakfast, lunch or even dinner. kolo mee consists of yellow egg noodles tossed in a light sauce before it is served with slices of barbecued pork (char siew) or chicken cutlets, or minced meat. Non-halal versions might also contain lard. The dish usually comes in two flavours - plain or seasoned with red sauce. You could also request for it to be seasoned with soy sauce or - in certain places - black vinegar.

The last food that I wanted to share is Chicken Pansoh or Manok pansuh. This food is actually from an Iban dish, is unique in the sense that its ingredients are cooked in a bamboo. The cut chicken pieces, lemongrass, and tapioca leaves are stuffed into bamboo before it is cooked over an open fire. This cooking method seals in the flavour, which results in juicy and tender chicken with gravy perfumed by lemongrass and bamboo.

In a nutshell, if you really enjoy eating, if you are a true food hunter that travels in Malaysia. You should really try and taste all the local foods here so that you can experience new things.