# Sum up some lesser known cuisines

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sum-up-some-lesser-known-cuisines/789606>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 22, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sum-up-some-lesser-known-cuisines/789606 "2017-06-22T14:50:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sum-up-some-lesser-known-cuisines/789606/81 "2017-07-21T07:41:12Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> Malay food will have some Chinese Malay food, some Indian Malay food, and some Malay malay food. That variety is absolutely characteristic, although what you get at home will tend to one direction or another.
> 
> The Chinese food is often not strongly spiced, often with a ginger sauce. Very hot sauce/peper is used as a condiment rather than included. Rice of course (served separately).
> 
> I don’t know enough about Indian food to make a judgement. Potato and wheat are used. Indian rice rather than Chinese rice.
> 
> I’d say that the Malay strand is less likely to include soup or even stew, often vegetarian, may likely to include fruit, fixh. Rice and noodles, in my experience served as part of the item.

There’s lots of chicken in Malay food, too - it’s one of the things the Muslims, Hindus and Chinese can agree is religiously A-OK to eat. Noodles and rice feature strongly, as do fish/seafood and coconut, along with assorted spices.

If I had to sum up Malay cuisine I’d call it “Spicier Chinese food with some Indian and Thai influences”, but that’s doing it a dis-service. I’m extremely fond of Malay food, along with its sister cuisine, Singaporean.

Dammit, now I want Nasi Lemak…

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