Think Malaysia and think the heady eternal green of the jungle, the fragrance of wild flowers, the steamy warmth of the tropics punctuated by refreshing downpours of monsoon rain, the languid, meandering rivers teeming with fish, the leafy, tropical trees hanging heavy with exotic fruits ... a meeting of cultures, a mingling of races... And a wealth of culinary delights.

And so began the merging of lifestyles and culinary methods. The original settlers, the easy-going Malays with their staple diet of rice and fish, the ubiquitous Chinese and their imaginative blend of cuisine, the conservative Indians and their piquant traditional fare, the Peranakans and their exquisite Nyonya specialties, the exotic Portuguese Eurasians and their delightful mélange of east-west cooking methods - all this individual culinary expertise has now been brought together in one volume, Traditional Malaysian Cuisine, the very best of authentic Malaysia recipes. A visit to Malaysia is incomplete without trying out some of these popular Malaysia dishes.

The township of Kajang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur is "famous" for its beef and Kajang chicken satay - barbecued meat served on a bamboo skewer and accompanied by peanut sauce, rice, onion and cucumber. What makes the satay "famous" is supposedly the sauce. Don't be surprised if your Malaysian hosts suggest a special journey to either Ampang or Kajang to partake of these "famous" dishes.

If Malaysia had a national dish, nasi lemak would be it. While Malay in origin, it is a dish enjoyed by all Malaysians, at any time of the day (breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper) and is served in both fancy restaurants as well as at roadside stalls. Deriving its name (which means 'creamy rice') from the rice which is cooked in coconut milk, it is usually accompanied by fried peanuts, anchovies, hard-boiled or fried egg, cucumber and sambal, and can also be eaten with beef rendang, sambal sotong (squid) or any other curry that suits your fancy. You could almost say that nasi lemak is a lot like Malaysia itself - delicious, varied and potentially very spicy.

The teh tarik (pulled tea) is something of a national obsession. For the uninitiated, a quick definition: tea is repeatedly poured from a container held high to a container below in order to create a thick froth, and is served in stalls and shops all across Malaysia. Not only are millions of cups drunk each day, Malaysians also have numerous competitions to see who can 'pull' the 'highest' tea; foreigners are often given lessons on how to teh tarik.

Malaysian Tea Time Foods

More Malaysian Recipes