Malaysian Chinese cuisine

Malaysian Chinese cuisineis derived from the culinary traditions of Chinese Malaysian immigrants and their descendants,who have adapted or modified their culinary traditions under the influence of Malaysian culture as well as immigration patterns of Chinese to Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese cuisine is predominantly based on an eclectic repertoire of dishes with roots fromFujian,Cantonese,HakkaandTeochewcuisines.
As these early immigrants settled in different regions throughout what was thenBritish MalayaandBorneo, they carried with them traditions of foods and recipes that were particularly identified , which gradually became infused with the characteristics of their new home locale in Malaysia while remaining distinctively Chinese.For example, Hainanese chicken rice is usually flavoured with tropical pandan leaves and served with chilli sauce for dipping, and tastes unlike the typical chicken dishes found inHainan Islanditself. Some of these foods and recipes became closely associated with a specific city, town or village, eventually developing iconic status and culminating in a proliferation of nationwide popularity in the present day.
Chinese food is especially prominent in areas with concentrated Chinese communities, at roadside stalls, hawker centres andkopi tiam, as well as smart cafes and upmarket restaurants throughout the nation.Many Chinese dishes have pork as a component ingredient, but chicken is available as a substitution for Muslim customers from the wider community, and some Chinese restaurants are evenhalal-certified.
Chinese kuih, written as "guo" (粿) or sometimes as "gao" (糕), are usually made from ground rice flours. Many of the kue are made especially for important festivities such as theQingming FestivalorChinese New Year, however many others are consumed as main meals or snack on a daily basis. Example of these kue include:
Many Chinese kue require the use of a Kue mould similar to that use inmooncakes, which is either carved out of wood or made of plastics. Kue moulds withturtlesare ubiquitous, though moulds ofpeachesare usually quite common. Red coloured turtle kue are known especially as "Ang ku kueh"/"Red Tortoise Cake" (紅龜粿). Since many Chinese no longer make kue at home, these moulds have become less common in many kitchens.
Over 80% of Malaysian Chinese identify themselves as Buddhists, and some follow a vegetarian diet at least some of the time. Some Chinese restaurants offer anexclusively vegetarian menu(Chinese : 素食, 斎) featuring Chinese dishes which resemble meat dishes in look and even taste, like "roast pork", fried "fish" with "skin" and "bones", and "chicken drumsticks" complete with a "bone".These vegetarian restaurants are run by proprietors who abstain from consumption of animal products as well as strong tasting vegetables and spices as way of life for religious reasons, and are essentially vegan. The meat analogues used are often locally produced as opposed to imported, and are made solely from ingredients like soy, gluten, mushrooms and tuber vegetables. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are likely to be found in areas with a high concentration of Chinese, and tend to be especially busy on certain festive days where many Buddhists temporarily adopt a strict vegetarian diet for at least a day.