Celebrating culinary favourites

Many things unite us as Malaysians... and food is one of them, writes Aiman Ahmad Anuar

NATIONAL Day is just around the corner. And like other joyous occasions, it will be celebrated with a public holiday, sporting events, parades and, of course, the ubiquitous sales. But unlike other festive holidays, the National Day does fall a little by the wayside when it comes to traditions.

Some of you may think that we already have more than enough traditions. After all, some of us make it a point to decorate our homes with flags, while some make a day of it by visiting national sites. Then there are others who attend parades. But these are not really unifying traditions and the people who practise them are few and far between.

However, there is another way we can celebrate National Day; something that has been missing all along — food. Think about it. Food is undoubtedly the one thing that unites all Malaysians. We’re able to celebrate our cultural diversity at every meal. So, how about spending National Day savouring all that our country has to offer?

Here’s a special list that covers the nation’s most popular dishes. I have included some fun facts about each dish so you know a little more about it before you dig in. flavoured with screwpine leaves, a side of sambal and eggs.

While there has been much research done on how nasi lemak came to be, there’s still no clear consensus on its actual history. Instead, there’s a kampung (village) joke that tells of a girl who was cooking rice one day and accidentally spilt coconut milk into the pot. Her mother came home and smelt the sweet fragrance and asked her daughter, “Masak apa?” (What are you cooking?) Her daughter, who was a little frantic by then, replied, “Masak nasi la, mak!” (I’m cooking rice, mother!)

Probably one of the first examples of fusion food, Peranakan food has been around since the 15th century. A true celebration of local culture, Peranakan means “born locally” or “local child” and is a combination of Malaysian and Chinese culture.

While we know it’s probably one of the most delicious cuisines, did you know that to cook the plethora of dishes requires tools which are similar to those used in over five cultures? Think pestle and mortar (Indian, Mayan and South American), stone mill (Chinese and Indian), ladle (Malay) and clippers for love letters (Dutch).

Here’s a heavenly concoction made with ice, green rice jellies, coconut milk and palm sugar. Every Malaysian loves cendol on a hot day. It is available everywhere and has been around for as long as anyone can remember.

But did you know that cendol is also available throughout Southeast Asia, with variations in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore. Cendol came into being thanks to the British because their technology made it possible for ice to be produced, an important ingredient when making cendol. Satay is a widely popular Malaysian dish. Available everywhere, you’d think that Malaysia is the original home of these sweet, barbequed meats. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Satay originated from Indonesia and was actually influenced by Indian and Arabian traders who visited the republic.

While satay has travelled far and wide, it has also made its way to Europe. It’s a common food in the Netherlands too due to the Dutch colonising Indonesia. You can find satay in grocery stores here! Who doesn’t love this simple but satisfying dish introduced by the Indian community. But while roti (flat bread of Indian origin) is made everywhere around the world, it’s only in Southeast Asia that it’s not rolled. Instead, it’s flipped and “bashed” against a counter top to make it paper thin.

Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, we have the most variations of this dish. Think roti bawang, roti telur, roti sardine, roti pisang