Are you wondering about the famous Chinese cuisines you should try when you’re in Malaysia next?
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country with three main racial groups: Malays, Chinese, and Indians. Given this diversity, it is undoubtedly a food haven with a wide variety of cuisines available to satisfy your cravings. You will find various cuisines from Malay cuisine, Indian cuisine, Baba Nyonya cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and more, attracting millions of tourists every year.
Whether you’re craving spicy, savory, or sweet, Malaysia is truly a food paradise that you should not miss visiting when you’re in Southeast Asia. Among the many cuisines available here, Chinese food is one of the most popular cuisines.
Thanks to Malaysia’s large Chinese community, descended mainly from southern Chinese regions like Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew, and Hainan, you’ll find an incredible variety of Chinese dishes whose cooking style has been adapted and influenced by the local Malaysian culinary landscape over the years.
At a glance, the list of Famous Chinese Cuisines You Should Try is:
- Dim Sum
- Mooncake
- Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Yong Tau Fu
- Chee Cheong Fun
- Char Kuey Teow
- Bak Kut Teh
1. Dim Sum
In the Cantonese dialect, 'dim' means 'touch', and 'sum' means 'heart'. Collectively, dim sum means 'touch of the heart', which refers to a small dish that is enjoyed with family and friends. Dim sum is traditionally also enjoyed during a 'yum cha' or tea drinking session.
These bite-sized portions of dumplings and rolls usually consist of a variety of fillings such as pork, shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauces or gravy. Dim sum is cooked by steaming and frying before being served in food containers made of bamboo.
In Malaysia, many Dim Sum recipes have been adapted using halal ingredients to cater to the Muslim patrons, ensuring everyone can enjoy this beloved Chinese cuisine. You’ll find fantastic Dim Sum spots in places like Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur, or Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang.
2. Mooncake
Moon cake is a type of Chinese cake that is often eaten during the Mid-autumn festival or moon cake festival. In Chinese tradition, the whole family will gather to eat mooncakes to celebrate the mooncake festival that falls every full moon or full moon.
A typical moon cake is in the form of a round pastry, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 3-4 cm thick. Mooncakes are rich with a thick filling usually made from red beans or lotus seeds surrounded by a thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain egg yolks from salted duck eggs. Moon cakes are usually eaten in small quantities accompanied by Chinese tea.
Check out the recipe here!
3. Hainanese Chicken Rice
As the name connotes, this dish which is based on Wenchang chicken, originated from Hainan, China. Adaptation of this dish has been made by the Chinese people who migrated to Malaysia over the years.
This popular dish as we know today uses ingredients such as tender boiled chicken and rice that is cooked full of flavour using chicken stock, then complemented with garlic and ginger chili sauce.
The chicken which is poached in chicken soup and then bathed in ice to create a succulent skin, is one of the distinct features of this cuisine. One of the most important element for cooking Hainanese chicken rice is to choose chicken of good quality.
Check out the recipe here!
4. Yong Tau Fu
The Hakka version of Yong Tau Fu is said to be the original version. Hakka Yong Tau Fu contains cubes of tau fu that have been stuffed with minced meat (usually pork) then fried or braised, and served in stew or sauce.
In Malaysia, this dish has evolved from the influences of Hokkien and Cantonese groups, making it quite unique. Ampang is the place in Malaysia famous for the best yong tau foo. You can find this comfort food in most food courts and coffee shops which have become a staple for breakfast and lunch.
Malaysian Yong Tau Foo can be served either dry with dipping sauces, drizzled with curry, or in a bowl of soup. There are also a much wider variety of stuffed items, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, brinjal, cabbage and melons.
Yong Tau Foo in Malaysia refers to this range of food collectively, and not only the stuffed tofu itself.
Check out the recipe here!
5. Chee Cheong Fun
Chee cheong fan was introduced by Chinese immigrants from Guangdong in the 19th century. It was widely accepted and became popular quickly which led to the dish evolving to adapt to the locals taste buds.
There are many variations of this dish in Malaysia. In Penang, chee cheong fun is served with “hae ko”, which is a type of shrimp paste in Hokkien dialect. Penang’s chee cheong fun is served with a concoction of sauces that makes is sweet, sour, spicy, tangy and even adds the flavour of umami (meatiness). Whereas in Ipoh, two main versions of this dish are served – dry and wet noodles. The dry version is mixed with bright red sweet sauce.
Usually it is made as a snack or can also be eaten as breakfast. It is a thin roll of flour, made from strips of shahe fen (rice noodles). It is served with shrimp, meat and vegetables as well as other ingredients.
Check out the recipe here!
5. Char Kuey Teow
Char kuey teow which is a popular food in Malaysia is made from kuey teow (shāhé fěn in Mandarin Chinese), flat and about 1 cm wide, fried on a hot flame with soy sauce, chili, shrimp, cockles, eggs , bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Sometimes slices of Chinese sausage and fish cakes are added according to local tastes. Originally it was cooked using pork fat, which gave it its distinctive flavour, but now it is cooked using regular oil to cater to the Muslims in Malaysia.
While it is available all over Malaysia, many claim that the tastiest version is from Penang. A great serving of Char Kuey Teow uses fresh ingredients and has the tantalising charred aroma from stir-frying the noodles over very high heat in a well-seasoned Chinese wok.
Check out the recipe here!
6. Bak Kut Teh
Bak Kut Teh is a Malaysian herbal soup dish that stems from the Chinese cuisine. It is most famous in Klang where many claim the authentic bak kut teh originated.
It is traditionally made in a claypot and consists of pork ribs which is cooked in broth that is seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices for several hours until the meat becomes tender. These days, chicken is also used as a substitute in order to cater to the Malay Muslim’s in Malaysia who adhere to the Islamic rule of eating halal food.
Bak Kut Teh which literally translates to Pork Bone Tea is commonly complemented with mushroom, lettuce and dried tofu. A common side dish that is served together with this dish is the fried dough strips (Yu Char Kueh) which is dipped into the soup. This dish is usually consumed together with rice and Chinese tea.
Check out the recipe here!
Always keep in mind that the key to successful cooking is to consistently cook and try out different dishes until you are confident with your food and discover the cooking techniques you are comfortable with. If you would like to know more about cooking and its benefits, check out: A Guide to Understanding Cooking.
If you have no idea where to start when it comes to cooking or you would like to improve your cooking skills, consider getting in touch with one of the many talented and experienced tutors on Superprof.
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