Database of Southeast Asian Sociocultural Information

            The multicultural Malaysia houses the three different ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese and Indian. Most food is Halal given the fact that the Malay Muslims make 61.3% of all population. Even so, popular Chinese and Indian food such as chicken rice, noodles, roasted red pork, barbecued suckling pig, roasted duck, Chinese steamed bun, Chinese spring rolls and Yong Dou Fu, became part of Malay food. Indian food is Tandoori, Nasi, Biryani Dal (Lentil Soup), Tori-Mataba, Chapati, Naan and Acar and others cooked with spices especially curry powder. Some states prefer using local ingredients. For example, Sabah and Sarawak, where a large stretch of tropical rain forests takes up most of the lands, are homes of over 30 ethnic groups. They prefer eating wild boars and deer (นันทนา ปรมานุศิษฏ์,2556:60).

            Malay food is cooked with various ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, galangal, chilli, shallot, garlic, kaffir lime leaf, wild betel leaf bush, Vietnamese coriander, bitter bean, Liang, cashew top, beef goatmeat, pork, duck, chicken and seafood. Coconut milk is always added in the food. Candlenuts are used to make any soup thicker. The main spices include Malay shrimp paste or Belecan, Budu, soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar, lemon, Senna and Kumquat (นันทนา ปรมานุศิษฏ์, 2556:61). In North Malaysia, people prefer using tamarind and chilli as spices, falling under Thai influences since this part is bordered to Thailand where it has nurtured historical relations. Some parts on the West prefer using a great amount of spices cooking their food due to Indian influences (Rosemarry Brissenden, 2007:179).

            The most popular non-pork menu among every ethnic group is Nasi Lemak. Nasi means rice and Lemak means fat obtained from coconut milk. First, cook rice with coconut milk and Pandan leaves to make it even creamier. Then, serve with chilli paste or Sambal, sliced cucumbers, peanuts and small fried fish. Moreover, there is a desert called Bobo Chacha whose colors resemble many types of jewelry. It is a belief if you have this desert, it will bring good luck. Bobo Chahcha is cooked with various ingredients: taro, sweet potato, small tapioca pellets, banana, cassava starch and food coloring boiled in coconut milk adding sugar and Pandan leaves (รายการโฮมรูม, 2559).

            Satay is one of the most popular foods in Malaysia. It is grilled food using meats like chicken, beef and goatmeat rolled over on spices. Then, skewer and grill it. Finally, serve with a sauce cooked with spices and soy. Side dishes include cucumbers, onions and pineapples. Roti Canai is another popular food cooked with fired wheat flour. Rojak is a kind of salads prepared with noodles, cucumbers, nuts, batter-fried prawns, hard-boiled eggs and sweetened condensed milk topped with sauce made of soy. Char Kway Teow is fried noodles with mild garlic, prawns, bean sprouts, cockle and egg topped with soy sauce and chilli (ศูนย์อินโดจีนศึกษา วิทยาลัยบริหารรัฐกิจ มหาวิทยาลัยบูรพา, 2556:152-153).

            For Thai-Malay people living in Tumpat, Kelantan State, food is not what they live for. Food is also ritual sacrifice to ancestor spirits in the Tenth Lunar Month Festival held on the first and the 15^th waning moon nights to offer the death food. The five main dishes are Kanom La, Kanom Chau Hoo or Deesum, Kanom Pong, Kanom Bah and Kanom Kaipla or Kanom Gong, all of which are called the Tenth Lunar Month Snacks. The ritual food is considered the heart of the festival as it is made only for this festival (สุธานี เพ็ชรทอง,2547:64).

            In conclusion, food is neither for consumption nor for a living, yet it rather builds learning processes in terms of multiculturalism in the country and each ethnic group’s identity. It is also the heart of the festival devoted to ancestor spirits.