CNN International did a colorful feature on Malaysian street food, with it’s varied Chinese, Malay and Indian influences. The two things they all have in common, as one busy cook said, is “chilis and garlic.”
In addition to chicken satay and some of the usual Malaysian street food dishes, they also tried durian, the “stinky fruit” – comparing it to blue cheese on a bad day after tasting (and smelling) it. They say it’s an acquired taste. Guess that’s because smell has such a strong effect on taste.
From Zain Verjee: “I nibbled a few sticks of meat loaded with spicy peanut sauce and wandered down the street. It felt like I was in the middle of a hot kitchen. I admired the char kuey teow (fried flat rice noodles), the nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk), fish on ice and roti canai (flat bread) cut and fried expertly. It was cheap, very cheap compared to Western standards.”
