As bona fide of Perak State, my wife, Zarina & I love the delicious heritage Malay cuisine which is known for its bold, spicy flavors with generous use of aromatic herbs, spices, and creamy coconut milk. The main dishes reflect a rich cultural history with influences from Javanese, Minangkabau, Thai, Indian and Chinese communities. Therefore, we do not mind driving by road or traveling by train for long hours frequently from Putrajaya to our hometown just to enjoy the aroma & eating delicious heritage Malay village cuisines at ‘Teratak Warisan Kampung’ located in the heart of the Royal Town Kuala Kangsar. (https://www.kualakangsar.gov.my)
It is no secret that Zarina & I love to eat. It is therefore not a surprise that traditional kampung food determined our travel destinations. Last Monday on 03 November, we lunched at Perak's Royal Town, and enjoyed the opportunity to taste dishes synonymous with Kuala Kangsar. An array of dishes unique to the area served to be eaten with rice. Our favorite is Gulai Ikan Mask Tempoyak (fish cooked in spicy fermented durian sauce), a yellowish curry-like gravy. (Facebook>Teratak-Warisan-Kampung-Kuala-Kangsar)
Manage by husband and wife team, Saidi Othman & Zaliah Ibrahim, the restaurant also serves Gulai Siput Campur Pucuk Paku, a dish of snails & edible ferns cooked in a spicy, creamy gravy. There are also dishes such as Rendang Ayam (chicken cooked in a thick, spicy paste) & Gulai lemak Udang (prawns). (Instagram>teratakwarisankampungkualakangsar<)
As for me, the meals must go along with ulam - a traditional salad of raw green vegetables eaten with sambal tempoyak & belacan. Other dishes serves include: Pajeri Terung (eggplant in a spicy sauce), Gulai Lemak Labu (pumpkin curry), Gulai Kemahang (a kind of leafy curry) & the Ikan Bakar (grilled fish).
For desserts, I drink a big glass of hot local coffee (no sugar) whilst Zarina prefer a wide variety of mouthwatering colorful, traditional Malay cakes (kuih-muih) made from ingredients like glutinous rice, coconut milk & palm sugar (gula Melaka). For our children in Putrajaya, we take away their favorite foods.
Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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