Exploring Malaysian Cuisine: Key Ingredients And Their Usage In Beverages
Malaysian cuisine is a coming together of a number of different food cultures and features prominent tropical notes that are indicative of the produce which thrives in this region. A lot of flavours and culinary techniques come together to infuse Malaysian dishes with potent tasting notes that are a mix of spicy, sour and umami profiles.
This cuisine includes dishes prepared using a number of spices and aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, cumin, coriander and even kaffir lime which build fragrance and layered tastes into local curries, noodles and seafood. It is only evident then that a number of ingredients which are significant to Malaysian foods are also used to build signature blends in this region.
Read on below to know more about some of the key ingredients that are incorporated in Malaysian cuisine and how they can be put to use in blending drinks:
Coconut Milk And Coconut Water
One of the key ingredients in Malaysian cuisine is coconut. Different curries, stews and vegetables are prepared in this culinary culture using freshly grated coconut or coconut milk as their base. As such, coconut milk and coconut water figure prominently in Malaysian cuisine and these are often incorporated in different local drinks like the creamy dessert, cendol, served with a helping of green noodles. Coconut water is many times served by itself or is often added to different cocktail concoctions infused with lemongrass and pandan leaves as a local flair.
Pandan Leaves
Another key component of Malaysian cuisine is pandan leaves. These are long-stemmed, grassy herbs often incorporated in Malaysian laksas and other curry pastes for their fragrant depth. Pandan leaves are excellent infusion ingredients too and it is no surprise that they are used widely for making beverages finished off with a splash of pandan infused water. Pandan leaves have a sweet, almost vanilla-like and floral aroma which makes for an excellent olfactory layer in iced tea cocktails and soy milk smoothies infused with this herb.
Black Teas And Local Variations For Infusions
In Malaysian cuisine, black tea leaves play a prominent role as they are used for building depth and complexity into savoury and sweet dishes, as well as warm beverages. Black tea is brewed fresh and served with condensed milk as a favoured beverage in this culinary culture. This tea is frothed by using the pulling technique which is a signature feature of Malaysian cuisine. As well, other local herbal blends like tongkat ali or misai kucing are also among some of the teas which are brewed for infusions that are subsequently added to iced teas or frozen desserts.
Grass Jelly And Basil Seeds
One more interesting element coming from Malaysian cuisine known for its earthy depth and aroma is basil seeds. A lot of times, basil seeds are added to drinks like iced milk teas for their cool character and their subtle taste. Basil seeds also bring textural nuance into cocktails and mocktails, lending them a chewy effect. Grass jelly also performs a similar function of adding a gooey and chewy character into iced teas or blended drinks and is often used as a key ingredient to prepare different fruity and sweet mocktails.
Calamansi Lime
Calamansi lime or limau kasturi is a variation of lime complete with citrusy and tangy properties. It is a very sour and aromatic fruit and is used in Malaysian cuisine as a dressing for salads, vegetables, curries and noodles. This lime variation is also widely used in the preparation of local sour plum drinks or even as a tangy mixer coupled with tonic water or club soda added to a number of different classic cocktail recipes.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
