Malaysians United By Culinary Delights

By Kurniawati Kamarudin KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia boasts a rich culinary heritage, including the traditional dishes offered by the different states that not only please the palates but also creates a unique bond among Malaysians. For example southern state of Johor is famed for its 'laksa Johor' where spaghetti is used instead of the normal rice noodles or vermicelli while northern state of Kedah is known for the 'laksa Kedah', which is very similar to Penang laksa and only differs in the garnishing used. For southern state of Negeri Sembilan, the state with the Minangkabau culture, among the dishes that stands out is the 'gulai daging salai' (smoked meat curry) while the 'asam pedas' (sour and spicy) stew dish is unique to southern state of Melaka. These tantalising traditional dishes have 'spread their tentacles' to East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak and likewise culinary delights from these Borneo states have crossed the South China Sea, stimulating the taste buds of Malaysians from all walks of life at both sides. Hence, its nothing new when those from Peninsula are also attracted to the delights from Borneo such as Sarawak's laksa, its layered cake as well as the famed dried salted 'terubok' fish and mee kolok (a type of curried noodles) as well as the 'ambuyat' (a dish derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm) from Sabah and other exotic dishes. NO SURPRISE It has been five decades since the formation of Malaysia and it is no surprise to learn that people have flown to Sarawak in search of the state's famed 'terubok masin' (salted terubok). 'Terubok' or American shad fish is a type of oily fish with lots of scales and Y-shaped bones. The salted terubok is a delicacy that is sought after by many visitors who came to Sarawak. The terubok masin is a salted fish that can be eaten with rice and is among the delicacies that bridges the ethnic and cultural divide among Malaysians. Malaysians from the Peninsula have also been known to fly over the hundreds of kilometres to Sabah in search of the state's seafood delights as Sabah too has many the seafood havens like Pantai Remis and Bagan Lalang in Selangor in Peninsula. SARAWAK KITCHEN Manager of 'Restoran Dapur Sarawak' (Sarawak kitchen restaurant), Sharifuddin Junaidi says food can be an effective bridge between the social and cultural divide among Malaysians from various ethnic groups. Indirectly, people will learn about one another based on where that particular culinary delight comes from. "Good and delicious food will leave an indelible mark in the memory. No matter where the people are, food is the element to unite them all," Sharifuddin told Bernama when met at the restaurant located near Hospital Tawakal at Jalan Pahang here. The restaurant offers culinary delights like 'mee kolok', 'laksa Sarawak', 'umai', 'ayam pansuh', 'nasi goreng dabai' and 'kek lapis Sarawak'. The eatery not only caters to the Sarawak-born but also offers a 'change' for diners who want to try out a new menu. ACCEPTANCE As for Sharifuddin if Malaysians from Peninsula like laksa Sarawak, then the the same goes for people from Sarawak when they feast on the likes of laksa Johor and laksa Penang. "It is not easy to tackle the taste buds of Peninsula-born people as they are more inclined to hot and spicy food as compared with the Sarawak palate of less spicy food. "Hence we introduced some modifications, to accommodate the differing taste buds," he added. HARMONY Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) lecturer, Lokman Abdul Samad says Malaysians should pick up a thing or two from the ethnic diversity in Sabah. Speaking to Bernama, Lokman says Dusun, Suluk, Iranun, Murut, Bisaya, and Kadazan, to name several of the 31 ethnic groups in Sabah, have their own unique traditional food. They even share the same eateries with the Muslims, he says. "Do not be surprised to see the Muslims in the eateries patronised by the non-Muslims," he says. This shows that harmony and unity are in existence via the acceptance of food by various ethnic groups, he adds. -- BERNAMA