Melaka is well known for its multi ethnic culture. There are 5 main ethnic cuisines that makes Melaka suitable for Food Addicts. They are Malay cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Nyonya cuisine, Indian cuisine, and Portuguese cuisine. So Melaka is considered to be one of Food Heavens in Southeast Asia.
Your journey to Melaka won’t complete if you miss one of these tasty cuisines…
Malay cuisine is famous of its spiciness and the use of natural ingredients, such as ginger, chili, coconut milk and many other spices. The famous traditional Malay food is the Sambal which is made of a mixture of chili, prawn seasoning and other ingredients. The most popular dish among Malays is Nasi Lemak, which is commonly taken for breakfast.
Delicious Chinese Cuisine places a lot of emphasis on cooking techniques, usually involving complicated steps. It is of utmost importance that the original tastes of the foods are maintained in preparing the dishes. Chinese cuisine in Melaka favors the use of herbs and spices. One of the famous Chinese dishes here is the Chicken Rice Ball.
Indian cuisine is renowned for its robust flavor brought about by the various spices, such as chilies, cinnamon and others. The breads are popular among Indians and come in a great variety in the form of thosai, chapati, roti canai, naan and so on. The most recognized meal, “Banana Leaf Meal” where the meals are served on banana leaves instead of plates, which gives colorful and excellent meal experience.
A visit to Melaka won’t complete without tasting the Nyonya cuisine. It features a tasty blend of Chinese, Malay, and Indian dishes and ingredients. Some of the more popular foods include the otak-otak (fish paste with spices), duck soup, laksa lemak (noodle and prawn cooked with coconut milk), the siam noodle and the sagu Melaka (an appetizer with sago and sugar).
The Portuguese uses a mixture of spices in their food. Lemon juice and asam are often added as seasonings to make dishes tastier. Among the most popular Portuguese dishes are the Devil’s Curry or Debal’s Curry (curry with 12 spices, cooked with chicken or beef), the Garing-garing (snack with fish meat eaten with raw vegetables) and the Portuguese Grilled Fish (fish grilled in banana leaf).