8 Must-Try Malaysian Food

Malaysia is home to fabulous street eats and equally tasty restaurants. With various influences from Malay and Chinese traditions, spicy Indian and Nonya dishes, Malaysia offers much to savour in all of its 13 different states and many more cities. The culinary scene is bustling with choices, fueled by this diversity of the country’s multicultural heritage. Here, we share with you the local favorites from three popular foodie stops in the region – Malacca, Penang and Ipoh Perak.

Photo credit - Pinoy Food

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Photo credit - Chee Hong

Photo credit - Charles Haynes

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This post is part of WanderFood Wednesday, a Blog Carnival held by Wanderlust & Lipstick. Check them out for a visual treat of tasty dishes, or take part in the carnival yourself!

Szechuan’s Spicy Servings

Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pao Chicken)

Photo credits - wang_qian_021386

Gong Bao Ji Ding, or better known as Kung Pao Chicken, is a classic dish in Szechuan cuisine. It is named after a late Qing Dynasty (late 19th century) governor of Szechuan, Ding Baozhen, who is said to have particularly enjoyed eating it – Gong Bao was his official title. It is a medley of thinly sliced (or cubed) chicken, golden peanuts, and bright red chilies, topped up with a light sweet and sour sauce. The chicken and scallion complement each other, with the peanuts adding crispiness into the dish.

Zhangcha Duck (Tea-smoked Duck)

Photo credits - mmmyoso

Zhangcha Duck, or tea-smoked duck, is a quintessential Szechuan dish. However, it is extremely difficult to prepare, and as such is eaten more often in banquets or festive events. The duck is first marinated for several hours, and then rubbed with a mixture of spices inside out. Following the marination, the duck is quickly blanched in hot water and dried. This ensures the skin stays crisps after frying. The duck is then smoked with black tea leaves, twigs and leaves, and then steamed for another 10 minutes before being deep fried.

Hui Guo Rou (Twice Cooked Pork)

Photo credits - Chinkerfly

True to its name, this dish went through two process of cooking before being served. First, large cuts of pork ribs were boiled in hot water with slices of ginger and salt. Then, the ribs were cut into smaller portions, shallow-fried in hot oil and served with cabbages and peppers. This dish was said to have originated from the Qing Dynasty, when the Emperor Qianlong demanded a feast at one of the villages he visited. The villagers didn’t have any materials to cook with, so they dumped various leftover materials and cooked them again, which is where the term “twice cooked” came from.

Mapo Doufu

Photo credits - avlxyz

Mapo Doufu, or Mapo Tofu, is another uniquely Szechuan dish. It’s a combination of bean curd set in a spicy chili and bean-based sauce, topped with minced meat, usually pork or beef. It is powerfully spicy, with the dish being both hot in temperature and spiciness. This spiciness, combined with the distinctive flavor from the bean-based sauce, produces the seven characteristics that are often used by cooks to describe this dish: numbing, spicy hot, hot temperature, fresh, tender and soft, aromatic and flaky.

Steamboat / Hot Pot

Photo credits - panduh

In Szechuan, this Chinese version of the Japanese sukiyaki, much like other Szechuan variation, receives an added spiciness. The meal includes the process of cooking itself, with a simmering metal pot filled with spicy stock and various dishes cooked right in front of you. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, vegetables, mushrooms, dumplings, seafood and tofu. The cooked food is usually eaten with dipping sauce and rice.

Shuizhu

Photo credits - FotoosVanRobin

The name Shuizhu literally means “water-boiled meat slices”. This Szechuan cuisine is slowly gaining popularity in China as well as other countries. The prepared meat is boiled quickly, only about 20-30 seconds, just enough to cook it but at the same time keep its smooth tender texture. It is then drained and served with vegetables, dried chili, peppers, garlic and other seasonings over it. Finally, it is topped with heated vegetable oil before serving. What makes this dish unique is the tenderness of the meat that is achieved with boiling instead of stir frying, combined with the freshness of the vegetables and the spiciness of the peppers.

This post is part of WanderFood Wednesday, a Blog Carnival held by Wanderlust & Lipstick. Check them out for a visual treat of tasty dishes, or take part in the carnival yourself!

10 Unusual Asian Delicacies

Asia is known not just for its diverse cultures and traditions, but also a galore of exotic food that often surprises and astonishes, sometimes not to a positive effect. Now to list all the unusual food found in this colorful region would be simply impossible, they are just too many. So instead, we are starting out here with a list of just ten unusual delicacies from all over the region. Know of any other delicacies that you feel should make the list? Let us know and we’ll compile them on our future update!

Tuna Eyes. Photo credit - Altons Images & chloeandliah.

Tuna Eyes

Where to find: Japan
If you can handle your food staring back at you, feasting on tuna eyes should come as a pleasure. Except for the bizarre situation of having to look at your food in the eye, they are actually pretty tantalizing for its fatty, jelly-like tissues around the eyeballs. Some prefer to eat it raw, albeit the fishy taste, others would rather steam or fry it alongside garlic or soya sauce to spice it up. Selling for less than 100 yen (approximately US$1) in Japan, this is a popular local delicacy worth trying out!

Durians. Photo credit - DarkPaisleh & MelvinHeng.

Durians

Where to find: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia
Either you love it or hate it. This “King of Fruits” has garnered avid lovers and intense loathers alike. So powerful is its aroma (or stench), it could be detected miles away, and the smell lingers in your breath and fingers long after you are done with it. In some areas they are even banned, such is the powerful odor that comes from it! The durian has a shell full of “spikes” which you cut open and take out the fruit. They are the size of a ping pong balls, and the flesh is yellowish, sticky and gluey. Coupled with its distinctive aroma, durians come in two “flavors” - sweet and bitter. It is worth a try, or at least a sniff to experience the acquired taste of the King of Fruits. 

Lamb's brains. Photo credit - The Rocketeer & QueenKv.

Lamb’s Brains

Where to find: India
Before anyone gags, lamb’s brains are actually pretty mild and not as revolting as you may think. They are white (when cooked, of course), tofu-like and often considered a gourmet treat prepared with Indian roti and curry. You can enjoy lamb’s brain served in various concoction – fried with tomatoes, egg, masala or even plain.

White Ants Eggs Soup. Photo credit - Xose Castro & Marshall Astor.

White Ant Eggs

Where to find: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Walk along the streets of Sukhumvit, Bangkok and you’ll discover a whole new diversity of Thai gourmet. From restaurants to street stalls, the myriad of food will leave you bedazzled. But from delight to shock comes street stalls offering delicacies such as scorpions, beetles, grasshoppers, frogs, usually fried. White ant (or termites) eggs soup are probably one of the weirdest choice out of the rest, but they taste surprisingly good! The soup comes with a mixture of eggs, half embryos and baby ants. The eggs are soft and pop gently in your mouth with a wee bit of sour taste.

Smelly tofu. Photo credit - Mr Wabu & LexnGer.

Smelly Tofu

Where to find: Hong Kong, Taiwan, China
As the name suggests, this popular street snack is renowned for its pungent smell, often likened to garbage or manure. The smelly toufu is actually fermented tofu, best eaten with sweet or spicy sauces. Despite a smell that turns most people away, even for its enthusiasts, smelly toufu has a light taste and once it tickles your fancy, you could be a fan of it.

Balut. Photo credit - Marshall Astor & Kerolic.

Balut

Where to find: Phillipines
Native to Phillipines, Baluts are half-fertilized duck or chicken eggs boiled with its shell. It doesn’t exactly look inviting as the semi-developed ducklings are already visibly formed. However, the Balut is a popular local dish eaten throughout the Phillipines, believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack. Often served with beer, the biggest challenge in trying out balut is overcoming its unappetizing sight, but most people would agree that it tasted much better than it looks.

Fugu. Photo credit - Culinary Journal & moophisto.

Fugu (Blowfish)

Where to find: Japan
This rare delicacy in Japan is only for risk-takers. Intensely dangerous due to its high tetrodotoxin content, which can thwart the nervous systems in minutes and kill in a few hours, this dish is served strictly in licensed restaurants. Like an art, the fugu is delicately prepared through various complicated procedures to ensure that the toxins are thoroughly cleared. It is thinly sliced and often served as sashimi (raw). Dip the meat with wasabi or Japanese soya sauce and pop it gently into your mouth. Some professional chefs prepare this delicate sashimi so there is a minute amount of poison in the meat, giving a prickling feeling and numbness on the tongue and the lips. Fugu is considered a luxury good in Japan, costing up to USD$200 for a full set.

Drunken Shrimp. Photo credit - VIPWorld & HuevosConLeche.

Drunken Shrimp

Where to find: Shanghai
When I first heard about the dish Drunken Shrimp, my first thought goes to the usual style of steaming your shrimps in a healthy dose of wine and alcohol. It gives the shrimp an additional dash of sweetness, making it a favorite of mine. The actual Shanghainese Drunken Shrimp however, is an entirely different experience – most notably because of the absence of steaming, or any kinds of cooking whatsoever. The shrimps are not only raw, but live! They are served bathed in strong liquor, which helps to make the shrimps less feisty, and you eat the still twitching body right away after you decapitate the poor fellow.

Silkworm Larvae. Photo credit - KSBuehler & Lokhin.

Beondegi (Silkworm Larvae)

Where to find: South Korea
Literally meaning “chrysalis” or “pupa” in Korean, the Silkworm Larvae are a popular snack in South Korea. They are either steamed or boiled, and then seasoned before serving. If you can get through the subtle, nutty aroma, these little guys are crunchy with a unique, strange texture inside.

Tarantula snacks. Photo credit - spotter_nl.

Tarantula

Where to find: Skuon, Cambodia
During the years of terror under the Khmer Rogue, starvation was rife across Cambodia, and the people began eating anything they could get their hands on. The tarantula was one such subject, and the people of Skuon, Cambodia, developed a taste for them, even long after the regime change. These distant cousins of the crab are crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle, with the white delicate meat in the head and body tasting rather like a cross between chicken and cod.

Thoughts? Comments? Did we miss anything? Feel free to let us know, and we may just add your suggestion to our list. Additionally, you may want to check out our latest feature - the magazine. Check it out online or download a PDF copy! This post is part of WanderFood Wednesday, a Blog Carnival held by Wanderlust & Lipstick. Check them out for a visual treat of tasty dishes, or take part in the carnival yourself!

Chinese Hot Pot – A Steamy Affair

It’s Monday night in Lishui, and my boyfriend and I are heading to what has become our staple weekly kick-off dinner – hot pot. The summer humidity is sweltering and we were both sweating a river as we hail a taxi and head towards the busiest street corner in the city. Outside, a harem of motorcycles, cars, pedestrians, animals and rickshaws swarm from all directions – its a mad maze and the smell of wet chicken feathers emanates from the local farmers market nearby.

As we arrive, a dingy red carpet beckons us up a spiral staircase into the restaurant. The faces of the fuwuyuans – waitresses – light up when they see us – their favorite (and the rare few) foreign patrons. “Yuan yang ba?” she asks, confirming that we’d like our usual split pot, a double-sided pot with both spicy and non-spicy broths. My boyfriend loves the gentle, buttery flavor of the non-spicy broth, something akin to a hearty chicken soup, while the fiery red-hot side is reserved for me, the spicy-loving masochist. I’ll pay for this tomorrow.

The double-sided hot pot. Photo credit - WatchCaddy.

Hot pot has been called a lot of different things. Some refer to it as a spicy do-it-yourself stew. Others say it’s like the Chinese version of fondue, but neither is really an apt description. Chinese hot pot is completely unique, incomparable with anything else, and a truly full experience all its own.

With the pot set duly in front of us, we take to the task of deciding what ingredients to put inside. I go first this time, heading for the buffet line where every manner of beautiful vegetables, meats and delightful snacks await my choosing. What will it be this time? Perhaps some qincai, also known as bok choy - a type of Chinese cabbage - maybe some mutton dumplings and enoki mushrooms. A little further down, snails, clams, mutton rolls and a host of different types of tofu call to hungry patrons from white plastic containers. A curious local woman takes a long look at what I’ve picked, probably wondering why I didn’t take the most decadent options like pork brains or dragon shrimp, which she has stockpiled.

A host of options for you to choose from. Photo credit - Megan Eaves.

Even more options. Photo credit - pazavi.

Bringing my choices back to the table on a warped orange tray, I begin dunking them into the now-boiling broth, where they melt down into the lava-like red oily goodness and disappear. I’ll fish them out later, once they’ve cooked. There are as many ways to enjoy a hot pot as there are fishes in the sea, everybody I knew of had their own preferences. Some prefer to dip the thinly sliced meat lightly in the boiling broth, taking care to ensure they are not overcooked. Some others even go the extra mile, fishing the meat out still slightly reddish and raw. Others like to add prawns but not eat them, only to add an extra flavor into the broth.

The restaurant has started to fill up around us. Large groups have settled at the nearby tables, their used green chairs pushed out halfway as they dig, faces down, into their soaked bowls and leaning in to fish out overripe meatballs and sopping bits of vegetable. Giving in to the heat, men take off their shirts off and hang them over the backs of their chairs. Beer bottles are overturned. Glass breaks. People are laughing, shouting and toasting one another. Steam rises off the pot at each table and the whole affair is very, very loud.

Eating hot pot is truly a communal experience. Photo credit - Megan Eaves.

About halfway through our meal, my mouth is sufficiently numb and we’re just about to call the fuwuyuan over for two more bottles of beer, which is free, when a group of poorly-dressed men approaches our table with huge, sheepish grins across their faces. Like many of the patrons in this restaurant, these men’s meagre salaries are given away by their soiled shoes and tattered cheap trousers, torn and stained from too many days digging concrete.

‘Ganbei,’ declares the ringleader, offering his tiny cup of lukewarm beer as a toast. ‘Ganbei. Cheers,’ we tell them with a smile, making sure to drink up. Hot pot is one of the few places where everyone enjoys themselves, regardless of class or income. Hot pot restaurants make me feel the same way I do in Irish pubs - that everybody here is just out to enjoy the food and have a good time.

And to me, it’s more than just a dinner, but an immersive cultural experience. Sitting in a hot pot restaurant, with steam rising from your table and the shouts of loud, raucous men and people having a great time - making a mess, toasting strangers and approaching tables to say hello - it really reminds me that I live in a truly communal society.

And yes... it's a messy affair. Photo credit - Megan Eaves.

Finally, we are stuffed beyond recognition. I turn the sticky knob and the gas flame extinguishes, leaving behind a glob of overcooked broth goop at the bottom of the pot. We take the last gulps of our warm beers, sitting back as ruddy satisfaction washes over us both. Gathering our things, we venture back into the heat of the evening, feeling full, far away and sentimental - in love with China, its food and its people.

South Korea - Seoul Food

South Korean food just so happens to be one of my favorite, right up there along with Japanese food (it’s similar, but different). As such, I was delighted to be trying out all kinds of delicacies on my last visit to Seoul, South Korea. Here are some snaps from my culinary adventures in soulful Seoul!

To start with, here are some street-side snacks easily found all over Seoul. The one on the right is a long wooden stick with pieces of chicken stuck into it. The sweet marinated meat is then grilled to tender perfection and served hot!

On the left is Korean fried rice, with a generous serving of eggs layered into the dish itself. While on the right is a giant bowl of chillies in soy sauce, a common condiment it seems. Fortunately, it looks spicier than it tasted.

Here on the left is one of my favorite meals, other than the grilled meat buffet you’ll find further down. It’s called Bi Bim Bap, loosely translated as Korean Mixed Rice. It’s a serving of meat and various steamed vegetables over rice, with an egg on top of it served on hot-stone bowl. You mix the ingredients together, “cooking” it just the way you like it before eating it right off the hot-stone. On the right is Ginseng Chicken, which you add taste and flavor by pouring alcohol (soju I believe) into it.

And here now is my personal favorite, BBQ meat, or as they call it, Bulgogi. Slices of beef (chicken or pork works as well) are marinated in sweet bulgogi sauce before cooked to suit each person’s taste and eaten with various side dishes.

On the left is how I prefer my Bulgogi, thin slices of meat combined with garlic and a dash of chili (hidden), then wrapped in fresh lettuce. Yumm! Also, Korean meals come with various side dishes such as pictured on the right. Our table is always a beautiful mess!

Finally, something creepy I saw to end this post. Maggots? Larvae? Not too sure. But I stumbled upon them quite often while I was in Korea. Unfortunately, I couldn’t gather enough courage to try them out.

This post is part of Photo Friday, a Blog Carnival held by Delicious Baby. Check them out for photo-sharing goodness, or take part in the carnival yourself.

Classic Asian Vegan Dishes

Vegetarianism is a practice that is slowly becoming more popular nowadays. There are numerous reasons as to why one chooses to follow this practice, as varied as the different types of vegetarianism itself, but usually it (the reason) is related to either, morality, religion, health or taste. If you are a vegetarian planning a trip to Asia, your choice of food can be quite limited, and there are cultural differences that can often leave one confused.

In Indonesia for example, the local word for meat is daging, which excludes poultry. So when one asks for food that does not include meat, you are often served with chicken instead. In many Thai and Vietnamese dishes, fish sauces are often the main source of flavor – the dishes won’t taste right without them. Fortunately, there are some classic local dishes that, with a few wiggle rooms here and there, can still qualify as vegan. Here they are for your perusal.

Delicious dumplings. Photo credit - Ben Maggie & Jean-Francois.

Vegetarian Dumpling

Judging from the various types of dumplings available and the differing reasons to savor them, we Asians definitely love our dumplings. There are steamed, deep-fried and stir-fried dumplings, and even one which you savor by first drinking the soup inside it through a straw, before eating it. Now fortunately, this also means you can often find a vegetarian dumpling variety. They are usually filled with dried mushrooms, tofu, rice vermicelli and chopped vegetables, all that goodness stuffed inside a flour wrapper and cooked by way of your preference.

Gado-gado. Photo credit - roboppy & Chieee.

Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad)

This Indonesian salad is a classic dish that has survived through the generations, with each local provinces and traditions adding their own mix of influences into the recipe. The basic ingredients however, are generally the same – a mixture of both cooked and raw vegetables, with fried tofu and boiled eggs, topped with a peanut sauce. Some prefer adding sweet soy sauce mixed into the peanut sauce, while others prefer a dash of spice and chili into theirs. Be warned however, that those chilies can make this delightful dish extremely spicy!

Som tam, papaya salad. Photo credit - WordRidden & Tarik Abdel-Monem.

Som Tam (Papaya Salad)

Originally from Laos, this dish has spread through to Northeastern Thailand, combining the four main tastes of Lao/Thai cuisine – sour lime, hot chili, salty fish sauce, and sweetness added by palm sugar. It’s made from shredded unripened papaya, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, string beans, with a mixture of lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce for the flavoring, topped with roasted peanuts and tiny dried shrimps. You can skip the shrimps, but missing out on the fish sauce would very likely alter the taste too much.

Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. Photo credit - sheilaz413 & Live Laugh Love.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Filled with all kinds of goodness from rice vermicelli, fried tofu, lettuce, bean sprouts and cilantro, this tasty appetizer is a crowd favorite. They are a refreshing change from the usual deep-fried variety, and usually served with chili sauce, oyster sauce, or a combination of both. Be sure however, to ask for the vegetarian variety – the version with shrimp are quite popular, and there are other meaty versions as well.

Singapore popiah. Photo credit - melosh & Su-Lin.

Singapore Popiah

Some people will find similarities between this local favorite with that of the Vietnamese Spring Rolls, but as an avid fan of both, I can definitely tell you they are different inside out. The ingredients of Popiah are cooked vegetables, while that of the Vietnamese Spring Rolls are fresh raw vegetables. Popiahs are wafter-thin crepes wrapped around braised shredded vegetables, bean sprouts and garlic, with a dash of oyster sauce and chili, according to preference. Be warned however, that some stalls may add pork lard or fried fish skin to add crispiness into the popiah.

Rojak, a mixture of flavors and taste. Photo credit - boo_licious & BurpSean.

Rojak

This fruit and vegetable salad dish is common in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, where the term “rojak” simply means “mixture”. Fruit rojak typically consists of slices of assorted tropical fruits, such as pineaple, mangoes, cucumber, sweet potato and others, topped with a sweet and spicy dressing made out of water, palm sugar, tamarind, shrimp paste and chili sauce. The vegetable version of this dish usually contains fried dough fritters, bean curds, hard boiled eggs, bean sprouts and cucumber mixed with a sweet thick and slightly spicy peanut sauce.

This post is part of WanderFood Wednesday, a Blog Carnival held by Wanderlust & Lipstick. Check them out for a visual treat of tasty dishes, or take part in the carnival yourself!

A Guide To Middle Eastern Cuisines

Food is one of the most unique item pertaining to one’s culture, and one that is an important part to traveling nowadays. Here at Unearthing Asia, we are all for wacky eats and local street food, as you can see from our recent coverage of HK Street Food, Khmer Cuisines, Macau’s Food Guide and India’s Culinary Adventures. Here’s another food guide for your perusal, this time, to Middle Eastern Cuisines!

Middle Eastern cuisines come in a wide variety of taste, shape and color. Each country adds their own distinct touches to the mix, completing a vibrant map of culinary delights throughout the region. A common bond between them however, is the usage of aromatic spices. Honey, sumac, sesame seeds, parsley, mint and chickpeas – these are a few of the common ingredients you’ll find throughout the region. While a meal may exclude meat, it is almost never without the region’s staple food, bread.

Mezze. Photo credit - Kake Pugh and patrn.

Mezze (or Appetizers)

When you are in Lebanon, order a course of mezze and you’ll realize right away why the tables are all super large. You’ll be served with dozens of small dishes with exotic tidbits all placed on the table at once. Some of the more common mezzes are the baba ghanouj, an eggplant dip; borek, feta-stuffed phyllo pastries and dolmas, stuffed grape leaves. The baba ghanouj is especially tasty, but be warned – it can be quite spicy!

Khoresh and Iskender. Photo credit - roboppy and Serdar's.

Main Courses

Depending on the country you are in, the main course could vary between kebabs of grilled chicken or lamb; felafels, deep-fried chickpea balls; khoresh, lamb stew in a sweet-sour sauce. It may even contain a number of rice dishes that is mixed with meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

For the uninitiated, kebabs are generally grilled or broiled meats over skewer or sticks. Since Muslims do not consume pork, the most commonly used meat are chicken, beef and lamb. It has become a part of everyday multicultural cuisines around the globe. Iskender kebab is a famed specialty from Bursa, northern Turkey, in which thinly cut grilled lamb is basted with tomato sauce over pide bread and generously slathered with melted butter and yogurt.

Bread and Vegetables. Photo credit - Sifu Renka and chota.

Vegetables, Salads and Breads

This is the usual companion of meals. Among the common ones are Tabboulleh (tart parsley), sautéed tomato and eggplant with yogurt, spinach, pita, flat breads and the traditional Jewish Challah.

Baklava. Photo credit - NotLiz and su_lin.

Desserts and Snacks

You are normally served a small cup of sweet, thick, coffee. One thing I learned is to leave the sludge at the bottom. It can give your throat an itchy, uneasy feeling, unless if you are in Iran where you are normally served tea. Other desserts include baklava and perhaps almond crusted cookies as well. Desserts are usually served only when entertaining, but for those who fancy desserts on their own, most bakeries tend to sell sweet pastries and the likes to curb your sweet tooth cravings.

Brides Fingers (Asabia el Aroos) are slender crisps of filo filled with sweetened nuts that are popular with the locals. They are comparable to the likes of baklava, but with lower calories and fat. Protein and fiber are in abundance due to the inclusion of nuts.

Meals in the Middle East are often eaten using your hands, following the Islamic tradition that is prevalent in the region. If you’re uncomfortable with this, don’t hesitate to ask for a fork and spoon, but if you are to try using your hand, avoid eating with the left hand. It is forbidden in Islamic tradition to do so, and because you usually share a communal plate with the rest of the guests you will unwittingly spoil the whole plate.

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