Chinese merchants and traders have long ago
to the Malayan Peninsula in the South China Sea. The natural port of Malacca was a
strategic trading post and a vital link to other traders from far across the
globe. In order
to establish trade and diplomatic ties, the ruling Chinese
Emperor ordered a royal entourage to escort Princess Hang Li Po to marry
the Sultan of Malacca. This historic juncture marked the first Chinese settlers
in the port town of Malacca on the Malayan Peninsula. Many of these early
settlers intermarried and integrated with local Malays, forming a unique
community called Peranakan.
It was, however, later in history during the
1800s, that the Chinese came in masses to the Malayan Peninsula. It was during
the era of the last European colonists, the British, that a large influx of Chinese
journeyed to the Malayan Peninsula for employment. Tin had long since
been discovered in the jungles of the Malayan Peninsula. It was only now under
the British, that large scale tin mining was viable and operational. The booming tin
mining industry attracted the much needed workforce of Chinese who came in large
numbers, mostly from the Southern provinces of China. These
early Chinese migrants were guest workers who came with the intention of one day
returning to their homeland and families. Although the majority of Chinese were
employed in the tin mining industry, some were small business merchants and
artisans. Various small businesses, those supporting the tin mining industry and
those in general soon contributed to the initial economic growth of the country.
When Malaysia gained independence from the British in 1957, many Chinese
returned to their homeland in China; and many more chose to stay, making up 26%
of today's population of 22 million in Malaysia.
The Chinese brought with them
not only their skills, culture, languages and customs but also the various
provincial styles of Chinese cuisines. Chinese cuisine in
Malaysia is mainly Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainanese,
Teochew and Hakka styles of cooking. Chinese cuisine is generally
milder compared to Malay or Indian fare. But thanks to the influence from this
multiethnic country, Chinese cuisine in Malaysia, has taken on a spicier touch,
often reinventing classic Chinese dishes. Many Chinese dishes are unique in
Malaysia and not found in China. Chilies are used frequently to
bestow fiery hotness to many of it's dishes such as the famous
also known as Singapore Chili Crab in Singapore.
known and most popular variety of Chinese food is Cantonese food. The food
is quickly stir-fried with just a touch of oil and the result is crisp and
fresh. With Cantonese food, the more people sitting at a meal
the better, because dishes are traditionally shared so everyone will manage to
sample the greatest variety. A corollary of this is that Cantonese food should
be balanced: traditionally, all foods are said to be either Yin [cooling] like
vegetables, most fruits and clear soup; or Yang [heat-y] like starchy foods
and meat. A cooling food should be balance with a heat-y food and with not too
much of one or the other.
Cantonese specialty is Dim
Sum or 'little heart'. Dim sum is usually consumed during lunch or as a
brunch, popular on weekends. Dim sum restaurants are usually large, noisy affairs
- the dim
sum served in little baskets or bowls and are whisked around the tables on
individual trolleys or carts. As they come by , you simply ask for a plate of
this or a bowl of that. At the end the meal you are billed according to the
empty containers on your table. The dim sum has between 10 to 30 items
and includes delights such as Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings, Steamed
Riblets, Steamed Vegetable Dumplings, Steamed Soft Noodles
with shrimp, Steamed Crabsticks stuffed with fish paste, Deep-fried Dumplings with salted
eggs, Steamed Red Bean cakes and delicious desserts of Baked Egg Custard
to name a few. Cantonese cuisine offers dishes from one end of the gastronomic
spectrum - pricey delicacies like
Braised Abalone, Shark's Fin Soup, Bird's Nest Soup to
meals on the cheap like Mee [noodles] and Congee [rice porridge]
on the other end of the spectrum.
Far less familiar
than the food from Canton are the cuisines from the North and the West of China
- Szechuan, Shanghai and Peking. Szechuan food is the fiery
food of China, where red pepper and chili really get into the act. While food from
Canton is delicate and understated, Szechuan food flavors are strong and
dramatic - garlic and chilies play their part in dishes like Szechuan Beef,
Ma Po Tofu [Chili Tofu] and the ubiquitous Hot & Sour Soup.
Beijing or Peking food is, of course best known for the famous Peking Duck.
traditional pancakes served
with Peking Duck are often omitted, rice being favored by diners in
local Chinese restaurants.
not easily found in Malaysia. Since most of Malaysia's Chinese are from the South, particularly from Hainan and Hakka, it is quite easy to find food from
this region. Throughout Malaysia, one of the most widespread economical meal is
Hainan Chicken Rice. The Hainanese are also famous for Steamboat, an
Oriental version of the Swiss Fondue or Japanese Shabu-Shabu. Thin slices of
raw meat, seafood
and vegetables are cooked at the table in a pot of soup broth heated
by hot charcoals. Nowadays 'electric Steamboats' are more the
norm especially in restaurants.
Hokkien food is rated on the lower end of the Chinese gastronomic scale,
it has provided
the popular Hokkien Fried Mee; thick egg noodles
fried with meat, seafood and
vegetables in a rich soy sauce. Another famous Hokkien treat is Popiah or Hokkien Spring Rolls;
Bak Kut Teh
crullers]. Pork ribs are
simmered in a
'tea' of Chinese medicinal herbs
flavor. A chicken
from the area around Swatow in China, is another style noted for it's delicate
and at the same time robust flavors. This cuisine is famous for it's seafood
as well as it's Congee [rice porridge]. Teochew Congee is
a simple meal; a bowl of rice porridge is served with a medley of small
appetizing side dishes, to pick and choose from. The most popular
Chinese hawker dish is
Char Kway Teow; flat rice noodles
fried with fresh shrimp, cockles, bean sprouts, egg, and chives made hot to
taste with a smoky chili paste.
Hakka dishes are
also easily found in food centers. The best known Hakka dish is the Yong Tau Foo.
Soy Bean cakes [tofu], bitter gourd, whole red chilies and various other
vegetables are stuffed with a fish or seafood paste, then steamed or boiled in a
served with a chili dipping sauce.
a must during the Mid Autumn or Mooncake Festival, when the moon is at it's
brightest all year. Rich and sweet, these special celebratory cakes are made
with various fillings of sweet red bean paste, white lotus
seeds, lotus seed paste and a whole egg yolk, symbolizing the full moon.
In Malaysia, there are countless
Chinese restaurants, hawker stalls and Chinese coffee shops "Kopitiams".
Kopitiams typically serve customers coffee and other hot or cold beverages.
Independent hawker stalls operate in the same way, offering customers a myriad of culinary delights. There are
upscale Chinese restaurants offering Chinese specialties and delicacies, many of
which are large scale premises; especially in major hotels, that also cater to
special celebrations and wedding banquets. For everyday dining, there are
Hawker Centers everywhere selling noodle type dishes and other local fare.
Hawker Centers can range from 3 or 4 hawker stalls together in one spot,
to huge Hawker Centers with never-ending hawker stalls offering a bewildering
array of food. The only dilemma is... What to
Hainan Chicken Rice : originating from Hainan in China, this dish is ubiquitous, one of the most popular everyday meal. Chicken is
slow poached whole, allowed to cool to room temperature and cut up into bite-sized pieces. Rice is then cooked with the flavorful chicken broth. Cucumbers, scallions and cilantro garnishes the chicken. A small side of the chicken broth is usually served as well. And always - a must-have dipping sauce made of red chilies, garlic, ginger and lime juice completes the meal.
: this easy to make dish [also called Singapore Chili Crab in Singapore] is literally finger-licking good. Blue crabs, Dungeness crabs
or Mud crabs have never been so lovingly tossed in a most superb chili sauce!
: White, Silver or Black Pomfret is an ideal fish for
steaming because of it flatness. Quick and easy, the fish is sprinkled with
fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil & white pepper, allowed to steam
till just done and garnished with sprigs of cilantro and chopped scallions.
Hot & Spicy Fish
: Grouper [Garoupa in Portuguese;
Kerapu in Malay] is a
popular fish deep fried whole. It's seasoned with salt and
pepper, lightly coated in flour and
deep fried till crispy. The fish is then topped with a hot & spicy sauce.
Sweet & Sour Fish
: This Internationally popular Chinese dish is always a hit. Whole fish such as Grouper [Garoupa in Portuguese;
Kerapu in Malay] is the fish of choice; lightly coated in flour and
deep fried whole till crispy. The crispy fish is then topped with stewed pineapple,
green pepper and onions in a sweet & sour sauce.
Pomfret is another fish that is very popular served this style whole.
Bak Kut Teh
Rib Tea -
crullers]. Pork ribs are
simmered in a
'tea' of Chinese medicinal herbs
Bak Kut Teh,
all the essential herbal ingredients usually available only in ethnic Chinese medicinal shops,
Fish & Chicken
usually Garoupa is simmered with chicken in a clay pot - a hearty & delicious
dish to eat with plain steamed rice and a side of hot sauce or fresh sliced
chilies in soy sauce.
Yong Tau Foo
: Tofu stuffed with Fish Mousse - Tau Foo means tofu or soy bean cakes in Chinese dialect. Deep fried tofu cakes
- bitter gourd, whole red chilies, zucchini - are stuffed with a fish mousse or
pate, then steamed or boiled and served with a dipping sauce.
Kai Lan with Oyster
sauce : Chinese Kale, also called Chinese Broccoli, is quickly blanched whole in hot boiling water till
tender. It's dressed very simply with a little oyster sauce, a dash of sesame oil and some fried
garlic on top.
Clay Pot Rice
: This one-pot rice meal has a smoky exotic aroma, best
baked with a sweet Chinese sausage called Lap Cheong.
The crispy part of the rice at the
bottom of the clay pot is savored. Clay Pot Rice can now be found with a variety of meats or seafood, from beef to ostrich. Many
restaurants also have clay pot 'dishes' on their menus - Clay pot Mee
[noodles], Clay pot Tofu [soy bean cake], Clay pot Fish, Clay
Soup etc. Food cooked in clay pots are not only flavorful, but retain the most
nutrition as well.
is a typical
Made in Malaysia
It has just
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is a typical
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It has just
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Char Kway Teow
: Fried Flat Noodles - fresh flat rice
noodles are stir fried in a little lard with shrimp, cockles, bean sprouts,
egg and chives. A smoky chili adds kick to this popular noodle dish. The island of
Penang in Malaysia, well-known for it's hawker food, is especially famous for it's Char
Kway Teow.. hands-down the best in the country!
Noodles - flat broad noodles [Chow Fun type noodles] are
first briefly charred in a hot wok and set aside. Pork, pork liver, shrimp, squid,
and thickened with cornstarch. A
beaten egg is streaked into the
gravy. The seafood, meat and
gravy is then poured over the charred noodles and served with a condiment of
fresh green chilies pickled in vinegar.
Penang Hokkien Noodles -
is a Penang style spicy noodle soup dish,
elsewhere called Prawn Mee [Hae Mee or Prawn Noodles]. Thin rice vermicelli [Mei Fun
and yellow egg noodles [Chow Mein] are served in a soup, made from both a
meat broth [pork] and a seafood broth [shrimp]. The tasty soup is spiced with a
pan-roasted chili sauce - a key ingredient. The dish is garnished with pork,
shrimp, bean sprouts, fried shallots and a spoonful of the pan-roasted
chili sauce - to add if you desire a major chili high!
Koay Teow Th'ng :
Rice Noodles in Soup - fresh flat rice
noodles are served in a clear soup broth, topped with fish balls,
slices of pork,
garlic bits and chopped scallions.
: Wonton Noodles - Thin egg noodles are first cooked by blanching in boiling water. A clear soup broth is poured over the noodles then garnished with wontons [pork dumplings] and char siu [Chinese barbequed or roast pork] Wonton Mee is also served dry, usually with a small bowl of soup on the side. Fresh sliced green chilies pickled in vinegar
is also served as an accompaniment.
Penang Curry Mee
: Penang Curry Noodles - this is a famous Penang noodle soup
dish. It is often mistakenly called 'Curry Laksa' - which is altogether a different noodle
dish in Penang called
'Laksa Lemak' or sometimes
'Laksa Siam'. Thin rice vermicelli [Mei Fun or Beehoon]
and yellow egg noodles [Chow Mein] are served in a spicy coconut curry soup with
pig's blood cake, fried & deep fried tofu, bean sprouts and a hot pan-roasted chili
Chee Chong Fun :
Rice Sheet Rolls - usually eaten as breakfast, flat sheets made from rice flour, sometimes with
some dried shrimp embedded, is steamed soft then cut up and topped with
soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili hot sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
: Thin Wheat Noodles - fine wheat flour vermicelli noodles are served in a bowl of clear soup broth
with a whole
roasted duck leg and garnished with chopped scallions.
Ewe Char Koay
: Chinese Doughnut
Bak Kut Teh.
Hoo Wan Tung Hoon
: Mung Bean Noodles - also called Glass
noodles, are served in a clear broth with fish balls and
topped with fried garlic bits and chopped scallions.
Deep fried Pu-Pu Platter - homemade minced pork sausage [wrapped in dried bean curd sheet], prawn fritters, soy bean cakes,
preserved egg and cucumber wedges are
served with 2 kinds of dipping sauces - one, a
gravy-like sauce and the other a
sweet chili sauce. Metal hair bobby pins that were
once used as picks, are nowadays replaced with toothpicks.
: Fried Baby Oysters - local baby oysters are fried into a sort of omelet
made out of a mixture of cornstarch, eggs
and chopped pickled Chinese radish. A sweet & hot chili dipping sauce is served on the side.
: Steamed Spring Rolls
[sengkuang], carrots and bean sprouts are rolled in a rice paper wrapper with minced
prawns, fried shallots and
lettuce. A sweet
& hot chili sauce is served on the side.
sometimes deep fried.
Joo Hoo Eng Chai
: Cuttlefish Salad - an usual salad of dried cuttlefish and Kangkong [Water
Convolvulus also called Water Spinach]. The dried cuttlefish is first reconstituted
and served together with Kangkung, cooked by blanching in boiling water.
The salad is then dressed with a special sweet and hot sauce
sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
: Chinese Fondue - fresh seafood like shrimp, squid, cuttlefish, fish
balls and other delicacies are skewered on bamboo sticks. Diners help themselves,
by dipping the skewers into a cauldron of rapidly boiling hot water to cook.
Different sauces from sweet to tangy to hot are served.
: Fried Rice Cubes - steamed
glutinous rice cubes are stir fried in lard on a hot griddle with soy sauce, garlic, diced
salted Chinese vegetable,
bean sprouts, chives and chili sauce.
: Shaved Ice Dessert - a favorite local dessert, also called ABC.
Sweet red beans, agar
agar [seaweed jelly], barley pearls, sweet corn and fruits are covered with shaved
ice, then laced with rose syrup, brown sugar syrup and sweetened condensed milk.
Great summer cooler!