What Exactly is Malaysian Food?
S: Val? V: Yes, Mike? S: Could you call me Sloucho for the course of this conversation? I’m going to record it and post it to the world for better customer quality assurance. V: Sure, Sloochie, whatever you say. S: [sigh] So this is Malaysian food, huh? Is that like hamburgers and hot dogs with little pieces of mango doused in coconut milk? V: Yes, that’s a surprisingly accurate depiction. S: Really? V: No, you idiot. It’s not even close. Malaysian food is a sort of liminal cuisine. S: We say ‘lentil’ in America. ‘Len-til.’ V: Very nice Homer impersonation. But what I mean is that it’s a cuisine informed by borders, boundaries, cultures coming together in unexpected ways. S: What kinds of cultures? V: The primary influences on Malaysian cuisine are Indian, Chinese, and Arabic. S: And Penang serves food that blends all three cuisines? V: That’s partly it. Some Malaysian food is a pretty obvious mixture of Arab, Indian, and Chinese elements. But sometimes we serve a pretty straightforwar
