Food In Malaysia.docx

A: Well I have to say that food is very important in Malaysia. If shopping is the national pastime in Malaysia, then food is the national obsession. It is not uncommon to be greeted by the phrase 'Sudah Makan?' which translates to 'Have you already eaten?'. There is no sincerer love than the love of food. Eating is more than an exercise in nourishment; it is an all round social experience as you chat over a spicy, local rice dish or gossip over a warm drink. B: Every night many designated streets transform into buzzing food courts, with many different hawkers. In Malaysia you see hawkers of many different races right next to each other. This means you can buy Malay food, Chinese food, Indian food and sometimes even western dishes all in the same food court! Isn’t that amazing! C: I couldn’t agree more with that! Upon sampling a selection of Malaysian dishes, it isn’t hard to see (and taste) that the fare consists of mainly Malay, Chinese and Indian foods, representing the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia. Nyonya cuisine has also set itself apart, as it deliciously combines Malay and Chinese flavours. A: Apart from that, due to the Malaysian affinity for strong flavours, particularly hot, sweet, sour and spicy, many elements of Thai, Indian-Muslim and Portuguese foods have also been expertly blended with Malaysian fare. As a result, the assortment of flavours available to Malaysian cooks help to enhance staples like rice and noodles, of which there are many varieties. B: OK now, without wasting much time, let’s discuss about national favourites, starting from main dishes. Well, Nasi Lemak is the first to come to my mind. Its rice is soaked in rich coconut cream

and

then

a platter with cucumber slices,

the small

mixture dried

steamed. Traditionally,

anchovies,

this

roasted peanuts, stir

comes

as

friedwater

convolvulus (kangkong), hard boiled egg, pickled vegetables (achar) and hot spicy sauce

(sambal). Nasi

lemak

can

also

come

with

any

other

accompaniments

such

as chicken, cuttlefish, and etc. C: Fried Rice is my favourite! Fried Rice is a popular component of Chinese cuisine and other forms of Asian cuisine. It originated as a homemade dish from Tao Feng, made from cold leftover rice fried with other leftover ingredients. It may sound quite simple but it’s not that simple. Malaysia’s variety of Fried Rice include Yang Chow Fried Rice, Belacan Fried Rice, Kampung Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice, etc. A: You don't need a silver fork to eat good food. Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements. Curry laksa refers to noodles served in coconut curry soup, while assam laksa refers to noodles served in sour fishsoup. Usually, thick rice noodles also known as laksa noodles are preferred, although thin rice vermicelli (bee hoon or mee hoon) is also common and some variants use other types.

B: The best comfort food to me will always be greens and chicken. Chicken rice is my personal favourite. Its traditional Hainanese cooking methods involves the boiling of the entire chicken in a chicken bone stock. Chicken stock is used to produce an oily, flavor which known as “oily rice”. In another variation, the chicken is dipped in ice after cooking to produce a jellylike skinfinishing, commonly referred to as Báijī or steamed chicken in contrast to the more traditional Lǔjī ( stockchicken) or Shāojī ( roasted chicken). C: Though rendang is sometimes described as being like a curry, authentic rendang is nothing like a curry. Rendang is made from beef (or occasionally chicken) slowly cooked

in coconut milk and spices for several hours until almost all the liquid is gone, leaving the meat coated in the spicy condiments. The cooking process changes from boiling to frying as the liquid evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices and to become tender. The spices may include ginger, galangal, turmeric leaf, lemon grass and chillies. Chicken or duck rendang also contains tamarind, and is usually not cooked for as long as beef rendang. A: Nasi Kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish, which originates from Penang. It is a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavored, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes. The rice for a nasi kandar dish is often placed in a wooden container about three feet high, giving it a distinctive aroma. The rice is accompanied by side dishes such as fried chicken, curried spleen, cubed beef, fish roe, fried prawnsor and fried squid. The vegetable dish would usually be brinjal (aubergine), okra (lady fingers or “bendi”) or bitter gourd. A mixture of curry sauces is poured on the rice. This is called ‘banjir’ (flooding) and imparts a diverse taste to the rice. B: And also Fried Kuey Teow, which is made from flat rice noodles fried over very high heat with light and dark soy sauce, chilli, prawns, cockles, egg, bean sprouts and Chinese chives, Hokkien/Fujian fried noodles which is a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients… C: Ok, Its time to feast our mind on some side dishes and desert now! First of all, Ais Kacang is adessert popularly known as air batu campur in Malay or ABC for short. It is sweet-tasting and is primarily ice served with sweet flavoured syrup and jelly. Besides that, Tāngyuán , which is a Chinese food made from glutinous rice flour mixed with a small amount of water to form balls and is then cooked and served in boiling water. For filled tangyuan, the filling can be either

sweet or savoury. Sweet fillings can be Sesame paste (ground black sesame seeds mixed with sugar and lard) – the most common filling, Red bean paste or Chopped peanuts and sugar. A: Kaya is a jam made from coconut milk, duckor chicken eggs which are flavored by pandan leaf and sweetened with sugar. Kaya is sweet and creamy, available as a golden brown or green colored spread depending on the amount of pandan and extent of caramelization of the sugar. As with other jams, kaya is typically spread on toast and eaten in the morning but is enjoyed throughout the day. B: Furthermore, Satay is a dish consisting of chunks or slices of dice-sized meat (chicken, goat, mutton, beef, fish, etc.) on bamboo skewers. These are grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings. Youtiao is a long, golden-brown, deep fried strip of dough in Chinese cuisine and other East and Southeast Asian cuisines and is usually eaten for breakfast. Conventionally, it is are lightly salted and made so they can be torn lengthwise in two. Youtiao are normally eaten as an accompaniment for rice congee, rojak or soy milk. C: Rojak contains fried dough fritters, bean curds, boiled potatoes, prawn fritters, hard boiled eggs, bean sprouts and cucumber mixed with a thick, spicy peanut sauce. Fruit rojak consists typically of cucumber, pineapple, turnip (jicama), bean sprouts, taupok (puffed soya bean cake) and youtiao (fried dough fritters). Raw mangoes and green apples are less commonly used. The dressing is made up of water, belacan (shrimp paste), sugar, chili, and lime juice. A: Well…Let’s finish the talking right now since action is better than mere words,and… FOOD IS WAITING FOR US OUTSIDE! A,B,C: YEAH !

ENGLISH (GEC 1033) Speaking test –forum Title: Food In Malaysia Group Members: Low Wei Jian Tan Ru Hua Ong Shin Lin