Food In American Culture Essay

Food is the heart of every culture. You can learn so much about a place simply by eating their food. You will see from the variety of spices used that Malaysia is a bit of a melting pot of cultures (SBS, 2008). Because of this, you will find robust Indian and Chinese influences in their cooking (Sim, 2017). Many of their dishes are also halal due to a large Muslim population (Raji, 2017). Despite other cultural influences, they still hold onto their traditional cuisine which is known for its characteristic blend of "hot, sour, salty, and sweet" (Hamzah, 2013). You will learn the most about a culture by studying when, what, and how they consume their meals. Much like the United States of America, the majority of people residing in Malaysia

Nasi lemak, or "fatty rice", is known a Malaysia's unofficial national dish. It consists of rice, coconut milk, "dried anchovies (ikan bilis), peanuts, hardboiled eggs, shrimp, cucumber, and sambal", the aforementioned chili sauce (SBS, 2008). It is traditionally served in the middle of a banana leaf (Raji, 2017). From a western perspective Nasi lemak would definitely be lunch or dinner but it can be eaten for any meal of the day (SBS, 2008). Rice can be found in a multitude of meals, any time of the day from breakfast to dinner, or even dessert. As a result, it is no surprise that the majority of respondents to a study ate rice at least twice a day (Radzi, 2013).

As a coastal country, another common theme is seafood. According to a study on food intake, about 23 percent of popular dishes contain fish, which is traditionally preferred by the Malay people, while about 67 percent contain chicken (Radzi, 2013). The sizable prevalence of chicken is largely due to the strong Chinese presence in the country (Radzi, 2013). Laksa, a spicy noodle soup, showcases both seafood and chicken (SBS, 2008). Curry laksa consists of "rice noodles, prawns, chicken, tofu puffs, and fish balls" (SBS, 2008). As a Muslim majority country, you will rarely see pork or pork products (Raji,

Therefore, they often enjoy meals as a community (Sim, 2017). Rendang, a meaty stew with coconut milk and various spices, is often served during large gatherings "such as weddings and Hari Raya Aidilfritri", the end of Ramadan (Raji, 2017). Even when not at large gatherings, all parts of the meal are served at the same time (Raji, 2017). First, the food is placed on a kain seperah, a cloth, then on a pandanus mat or dining table (Raji, 2017). Men sit at the mat with their feet crossed in front of them, called duduk bersila, and women should sit with their feet to the side, duduk bersimpuh, like you would sit on the ground with a dress (Raji, 2017). When serving oneself, the diner first scoops rice on the plate and then move on to wet dishes that have a sort of sauce or gravy (Raji, 2017). For dry things such as bread, you simply rip it with your hand (Raji, 2017). No matter how hungry you are and how delectable the food looks, do not dig in yet! A prayer will be recited, doa makan, to thank Allah for the food as long as the people with which you are dining are from the Muslim faith (Raji, 2017). As with many Asian cultures, someone who is your senior goes first. In this case, that goes for letting the elder serve themselves first and waiting for them to start eating before you do (Raji, 2017). You may eat when the eldest people say jemput makan which translates to "please eat" (Raji,