Malaysian Ingredients and Their Stories
Introduction
Many foreigners, especially Chinese bloggers, often share food reviews of Malaysia. However, another way to show love for Malaysia is through cooking with local ingredients. This article explores the various Malaysian ingredients used in daily meals and the stories behind them.
Challenges of Adapting to Local Food
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Chinese Food Preferences: Chinese friends often bring instant noodles when traveling abroad and have difficulty integrating into local food systems.
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Regional Flavor Preferences: People from different regions in China have specific flavor preferences, such as Sichuan people liking spicy food and some places preferring salty food.
Malaysian Ingredients and Their Benefits
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Soy Sauce: Wang Tai prefers high-quality soy sauce without MSG and artificial additives. Malaysian soy sauce is relatively clean and has a good taste.
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Curry Powder: Curry is a significant part of Malaysian cuisine. The traditional curry powder in Limingdao's bazaar is made with a blend of spices and has a rich and fragrant flavor.
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Ginger Yellow Powder: This powder is a superfood with anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used in various dishes and can be added to fruit smoothies.
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Pearl Barley: A special ingredient for cooking soup, it is round, fragrant, and has a good texture.
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Organic Coconut Flower Sugar: A low-GI sugar made from coconut palm sap, it has a unique coconut fragrance and is used in making coconut cakes and sugar water.
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Crispy Onions: A popular topping for various dishes, especially in Malaysian cuisine.
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Xinyang Rice: A local rice brand that is more delicious than Japanese rice according to Wilson.
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Ion Brand Sardines: A classic canned food with a long history and a delicious taste.
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Garlic Oil: A versatile ingredient used in cooking various dishes, such as Indian naan and steamed fish.
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Banlan Leaves: Used to provide fragrance in sugar water and rice, they have a unique flavor.
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Sour Plum Powder: A refreshing ingredient that goes well with fennel and is used in making desserts.
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Sweet Potato Starch: A popular ingredient in Malaysian cuisine, it can be used to make various dishes.
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Bung Kandum Flour: A high-quality, non-bleached flour that is suitable for making bread, dumplings, and other baked goods.
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Whole Wheat Flour: A healthy alternative to white flour, it is used in making sourdough bread and other whole wheat products.
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Squid Silk: A snack or ingredient for making soup, it has a unique texture and flavor.
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Preserved Eggs: A traditional Chinese ingredient with a unique flavor, the Malaysian preserved eggs have a salty taste like salted egg yolks.
Recipes Using Malaysian Ingredients
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Curry Chicken: Marinate chicken legs with curry powder and salt, then fry them until crispy.
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Chaozhou Steamed Salmon: Steam salmon with pickles, tomatoes, dried shiitake mushrooms, salted plums, ginger, and white pepper powder, then pour scallion oil on top.
Conclusion
By using Malaysian ingredients in cooking, we can not only experience the local flavors but also show our love and appreciation for the country. There are many more Malaysian ingredients waiting to be discovered and used in our daily meals.
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