Discover Your Way to Malaysian Food Info - Important Tips

Malaysian food

Malaysia is a food lover’s haven. Food of all kinds is found in Malaysia. From exotic dishes like Nasi Bryani and Tom Yum Curry to local fare such as Roti Chanai, Popiah and Nasi Lemak to wonderful Western food like pasta, French pastries and good old Fish and Chips, all can be found in Malaysia. Indeed, Malaysia is a melting pot of different types of cuisine from all around the world.

The Chinese prefer to start off their meals with a soup; usually it is a vegetable soup as it is not too heavy. It is quite uncommon for people in Malaysia to have appetizers, other than in Western full-course meals. But Malaysians have lots of choices when it comes to side dishes. For example, Rojak is a popular Malay fruit and vegetable side dish. In Rojak, fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, pumpkin, cucumber, kangkong (a local vegetable) etc are cut into bite-sized pieces and mixed with prawn paste and covered in pounded peanuts. Another side dish is Popiah. This is also a vegetable dish where strips of cucumber, pieces of beancurd, small shrimp, turnip, bean sprouts etc are rolled into a flour batter in a small cyclindrical shape. To add taste, it is also eaten with prawn paste. Popiah can either be eaten raw or fried. Yet another side dish is Loh Bak. This is especially favoured among the Chinese.

It comprises of pork, beancurd and shrimp deep-fried till crispy and served with unique sauces.

For main dishes, there is a plethora of food in the Malaysian menu. Nasi Bryani is an Indian dish where colored rice is cooked with raisins, cashew nuts and pineapple cubes. This is eaten with deep-fried chicken or mutton and lots of other add-ons. Satay is a popular dish among the Malays. It’s a smaller version of Shish Kebab. Pieces of chicken or beef are pierced onto a stick and grilled over an open charcoal fire. Then these delicious sticks of meat are eaten with thick peanut sauce, cucumber and Ketupat (special cube shaped glutinous rice).

The Malays have many types of rice dishes for their main dish. There are Nasi Campur (mixed rice), Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Nasi Kandar. Besides rice, the Malays also enjoy noodles such as Mee Rebus (steamed noodles), Mee Jawa (steamed noodles in thick gravy), Mee Soto (noodles in a spicy soup) and many more. The Chinese, on the other hand, have their noodles like Kon Lao Mee (thin noodles in soy sauce with strips of meat or fish and vegetables), Won Ton Mee (the wet version of Kon Lao Mee), Assam Laksa (noodles in spicy soup but cooked the Chinese style), Char Koay Teow (broad noodles fried with soy sauce and cooked with vegetables, bean sprouts, preserved pork, chicken etc) and plenty more. Besides noodles of all sorts, Chinese enjoy steamed white rice with traditional Chinese dishes like braised pork, steamed or friend fish, beef and vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, Chinese lettuce etc.

Not to be outdone, the Indians also have their own specialties. Besides Nasi Bryani, the Indians love Banana Leaf Rice. This is steamed white rice served on Banana leaves instead of plates. It comes with an assortment of additional small dishes such as chicken, fish and beans all cooked in unique Indian style. The Indian Muslim (Indians of the Moslem faith) community in Malaysia has their own range of food such as Roti Chanai (unique flour batter cooked in various styles), Murtabak (this is Roti Chanai with either chicken or mutton and other food mixed into it), Roti Jala (a net-shaped version of Roti Chanai) and Tosai.

In Malaysia you will also find food from a variety of other countries such as Tom Yam (Thailand), Sushi (Japan), pasta or all sorts (Italy), Korean Ramen (Korean styled noodles) and Kimchi (pickled vegetables), Mexican or Spanish food, all-American Fish and Chips, a host of French pastries and lots more. You can even find Aussie Vegemite for your toast!

Truly, if you love tasting food from virtually every corner of the world, come to Malaysia.

Would like to visit this place and taste Food Malaysia yourself? Then read these vacation packing checklist tips and go for a journey.

Understanding Why You Must Boost Metabolism

Understanding Why you must boost metabolism

So if weight loss is your goal, you must have the right method (eating the right foods) is a real, proven weight loss method through increased metabolic change, the latter method (the steam room) is just temporary because the lost weight is merely water, and will return as swiftly as it “melted away

Another big reason that people don’t have clear, consistent information on this topic is because, unfortunately, there are a lot of food and supplement companies on the market who don’t want you to know fact from fiction.

So if you are concern about losing weight with being hungry at all times, you may follow these eating habits.

Eat more fish

You may have read about the benefits of taking fish oil capsules to get those good for you omega-3 fatty acids. You can find omega-3’s in fish like sardines, herring, tuna, mackerel, trout, and salmon. Studies have stated that if you consume fish you can boost your calorie burn by as much as 400 calories a day!

Eat more dark green leafy vegetables

Dark green leafy vegetables like arugula, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, chard, and spinach are full of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, and lots of fiber. These vegetables are packed with loads of antioxidants and they are so healthy for you, but what really helps you increase your metabolism is the fiber content in these vegetables. Your body is going to burn a lot more calories because of the work it takes to digest the fiber in these foods.

Eat more tomatoes

Tomatoes are really great for you because they have lycopene. Lycopene is the antioxidant that has been found to have natural cancer fighting qualities. Tomatoes are also a good source of fiber. The key ingredient for eliminating fat, however, are the acids in tomatoes that help your body get rid of fat from your system.

Eat more fruit

Whole fresh fruits have actually been said to have “negative calories.” this means that your body will burn more calories digesting the food than it stores from eating the food. To ramp up your metabolism you may want to try adding fresh fruits like blueberries or strawberries or bananas to your cereal or your smoothies every morning.

Eat spicy foods, chilies, and curries

Have you ever eaten a spicy meal and felt your body break out in a sweat? The capsaicin in many hot peppers and other spices literally fire up your metabolism due to the “fire” it creates inside your body. Some studies have said that there is a 50% increase in metabolism after eating a spicy meal that contains capsaicin. So you may want to keep a bottle of hot sauce on your table and add it to your dishes at meal time.

Now you have five ways you can boost your metabolism and burn more calories. Tonight, you just might want to have some spicy Cajun blackened salmon for dinner, a big salad with lots of dark green leafy vegetables and tomatoes. And for dessert a fresh fruit salad.

how to increase metabolism

Why Use High Protein Diets

We need protein in our diet to stay strong and healthy. If we don’t eat enough our bodies will steal it from our muscles and organs. In fact, protein is essential for the development of our muscles, which lead to an increase in the burning of calories. Our muscles could be described as fat furnaces as they keep our metabolism running high.And protein is very good at curbing appetite and balancing blood sugar in contrast to many “fast release” carbohydrate based foods and snacks.

Protein also helps reduce carbohydrate cravings. Carbohydrates, especially sweets and starches, can trigger the brain to crave more of the same–which leads to a vicious cycle of overeating. Protein foods help block cravings. When you eat protein with healthy carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, the protein will keep you satisfied, while reducing your cravings for sweets and starches. This makes protein a powerful ally in your quest to lose weight.

Protein comes in the form of meat, soy products, cheese and dairy products. However, most of these are in the form of animal proteins, which add greatly to the bad cholesterol in our bodies. Therefore we need to look for high quality proteins, in our diet, from non-animal sources.Protein-enriched meal replacement shakes, protein supplement powders and high protein low carbohydrate snack products, contain protein sources which are easily absorbed and assimilated, and which allow you to reach your body’s protein requirements without those unwanted calories.

And for those concerned about Cholesterol levels? The inclusion of at least 25g Soya protein per day as part a diet low in saturated fats can help reduce blood cholesterol.

Find out more about a protein diet plan