Traditional spices such as cumin and coriander are used in con-junction with Indian and Chinese spices such as pepper, cardamom, star anise and fenugreek. To this have been added the culinary influences and cooking techniques of Arab and Portuguese traders who passed through hundreds of years ago. The result is an incom-parable cuisine. The staples of Malay food are noodles and rice. Typically, Malay cuisine is very spicy.
Seafood is a big part of the Malaysian diet, followed by chicken and beef.
Seasonings play an important role in Malay cooking as they often enhance the food taste and flavours. Many of the seasonings are not dried spices but are fresh ingredients such as fresh turmeric, galangal, fresh chilli paste, onions, and garlic. A combination of fresh seasonings and dried spices are normally pounded together to make a fine paste and cooked in oil. Fresh coconut milk is often added. The most famous regional dishes, at least some of which appear on the menus of all of these restaurants, include satays, nasi goreng, beef rendang, rijsttafel, laksa and gado-gado.