Malaysians are usually happy to see local food getting some attention overseas.
But a nasi lemak featured in a US cooking video recently left viewers back home with plenty of questions, especially about its ikan bilis and peanuts.
Nasi lemak featured in school lunch ranking
The dish appeared in a YouTube Shorts video by CookeddClips, where the hosts tried and ranked school lunches from different countries.
Malaysia was represented by nasi lemak, which came wrapped in the familiar triangular banana leaf packaging.
Once opened, however, viewers noticed several unusual details.
The rice was served with three large anchovies, pale looking peanuts, sambal, half a boiled egg and pieces of chicken.
Many viewers quickly pointed out that the ikan bilis and peanuts looked different from what is commonly served with nasi lemak in Malaysia.
One commenter wrote:
The unroasted peanuts and that anchovy is a crime 😂”
Another joked about the three anchovies lined up on the rice, while several others called for Uncle Roger to step in.
What in the Jamie Oliver’s nasi lemak is this?? ☠️”
Others encouraged the creators to visit Malaysia and try the dish locally instead.
Hosts still enjoyed the dish
Despite the reactions, the hosts themselves seemed to enjoy the nasi lemak.
They placed Malaysia in the “B tier” and ranked the meal third overall, alongside countries including China and Indonesia.
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