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Flamboyant TV foodie Peta Mathias hits the gastronomic road again with Taste Takes Off - a revamped overseas version of Taste New Zealand.

Peta Mathias says; "There's no better way to discover the culture of a country than through its food."

In Taste Takes Off, Peta Mathias does just that. New Zealand's footloose travel writer explores the flavours, the style and the sights of 10 destinations around the Pacific.

So much of Asia can be found in just one destination - Malaysia. The exotic blend of cultures; Malay, Chinese and Indian and the influence of British, Portuguese and Dutch flavour make this the most diverse culinary scene in the region. Peta begins her Malaysian adventure in the capital Kuala Lumpur and then travels North to the fertile Cameron Highlands and finally on to Malaysia's gastronomic capital Penang.

Stories

Kuala Lumpur - TV chef, Chef Wan, guides us through produce and the classic Hawker centre meal
Cameron Highlands - Tea plantations and the rose petal syrup of this cooler climate area.
Penang Island - The two big flavours of Malaysia, soy sauce and belacan, (fermented shrimp paste). A visit to two very traditional producers.
Durian - Love it or hate it, the very smelly "King of Fruits"

Guest Chef - Chef Wan
To find out more about Malaysia's rich culinary history, Peta heads to Kuala Lumpur where she meets up with an old friend, Chef Wan. Chef Wan is a star in Malaysia, not only does he host his own highly successful cooking show on local television, he has also hosted shows around the world and published dozens of cookbooks. Chef Wan takes Peta to his favourite market to find the key ingredients in Malaysian cooking and he tells the story of the hawker meal and how it is central to the Malaysian eating experience.

Chow Kit Market
Chow Kit market is Kuala Lumpur's largest indoor market. Here narrow walkways lead through a maze of stalls laden with seafood of every variety and size, vegetables of numerous shapes and colour, meat, spices and loads of tropical fruits. Food stalls are in abundance as are those selling clothes, shoes, cassettes and fabrics. Chow Kit Market is located at the Northern end of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and is open daily from 9 am. until 5 pm.

Recipes:

Chef Wan prepares two local specialties.

Prawn Sambal

500g shelled raw praws
Walnut sized piece of dried tamarind
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 shallots finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
8 fresh red chillies
2 tsp chopped galangal
1 tsp palm sugar
1/2 cup broad beans peeled.

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water, squeeze to dissolve pulp and strain out the seeds and fibres.

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan add shallots, garlic and ginger and fry until they turn golden brown. Add chillies, galangal, lemongrass and the prawns. Fry and stir constantly until the prawns change colour. Add tamarind liquid to the pan and simmer on a low heat until the oil starts to separate. Stir in sugar, broad beans and salt and serve with rice.

Nasi Ulam

2 cups cooked rice
Vietnamese mint finely chopped
Fresh mint
Lime leaf finely shredded
Turmeric leaf finely shredded
2 red chillies
Galangal finely chopped
4 shallots finely chopped
Dried shrimp
Belacan
Fish sauce
Palm sugar
Salted egg

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve.

Cameron Highlands
A four-hour drive north of Kuala Lumpur brings you to the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia's most extensive hill station. The Cameron Highlands takes its name from William Cameron, the surveyor who mapped the area in 1885. He was soon followed by tea planters, Chinese vegetable farmers and wealthy colonialists seeking an escape from the heat of the lowlands. Today in the highlands you can visit fruit and vegetable farms, flower nurseries, butterfly gardens, and tea plantations. Many tea estates in the region offer guided tours and tastings, two notable options are:

Sungai Palas Tea Estate
Gunung Brinchang Road

Boh Tea Estate
Boh Road Habu Ringlet
www.boh.com.my
info@boh.com.my

Rose Hill Estate
The cooler climate in the area is ideal for growing flowers particularly roses, and as there are no seasons in Malaysia the flowers bloom all year round. We visited The Rose Hill Estate which gardener Mr Muthu and his wife Jaya have managed for over thirty years.

Jaya's Rose Syrup

Collect petals from the Abraham Lincoln, Crimson glory and Aloha varieties of rose.  Wash the petals and add to boiling water with sugar and lime juice and boil for five hours. The rose syrup is wonderful drizzled on ice-cream or just add to water for a refreshing drink.

Contact: Mr R Muthu
Rose Hill
44th Mile
39000 Tanah Rata
Cameron Highland
Pahang
MALAYSIA

Penang
Our next destination is the island of Penang. For hundreds of years Penang was a trading port and immigrants from all around the Malay archipelago have formed the backbone of this cosmopolitan city. The food of Penang reflects the intermingling of these cultures and it is recognised as one of the world's gastronomic centres. 

The Tropical Fruit Farm
Penang is also famous for its spectacular range of tropical fruit, as we found when visiting The Tropical Fruit Farm. Located just 25 minutes away from Batu Ferringhi on the North coast of Penang, the farm is set-up with the aim to promote agro-tourism and currently has 140 varieties of tropical and sub-tropical fruit trees ranging from the ordinary and local to the exotic. The Tropical Fruit farm is open daily from 9.00am to 6.00pm

Contact: The Tropical Fruit Farm
Batu 18 Jalan Teluk Bahang
Penang
MALAYSIA
Tel: 60 4 866 5168

The Bao Sheng Durian Plantation
More than any other tropical fruit, Malaysians are passionate about durian. Known as the king of fruits, the powerful smelling durian is definitely an acquired taste. Those who don't like the smell have likened it to a much used old toilet but to specialists like Mr Chang, owner of the Bao Sheng Durian farm, it's a fruit that is prized for its flavour. The Bao Shen farm is located on the north-west coast of Penang and is open for tours and tastings.

Contact: Mr T S Chang
Bao Sheng Durian Farm
www.durian.com.my

Recipe:

There are plenty of recipes available for those who love the fruit. Pulut durian is a local favourite and to make it you'll need; one durian, coconut milk, sugar and rice. Mix the pulp of the durian with steamed rice, add 1 tbsp of sugar and a cup of coconut milk, steam until hot and there you have it, a treat for durian lovers.

Soy Sauce
One essential condiment found in all Malaysian kitchens is soy sauce. In Penang we visited the Swee On Woh factory, where soy sauce is still produced the traditional way.

Contact: Swee On Who Soy Sauce Factory
52-54 Jalan C.Y. Choy (Bridge Street)
Penang
MALAYSIA
 
Belacan
Another indispensable flavour in Malaysian cooking is Belacan, which is a pungent dried shrimp paste. To make Belacan shrimps are salted and dried out on huge beds. They are then minced and stored before being dried out again. Finally they are pressed into blocks and wrapped and packaged ready for sale. Belacan is most commonly used in sambal belacan a spicy flavouring that accompanies many Malaysian dishes. 

Sambal Belacan

To make blend chillies, belacan, tamarind juice sugar, fresh lime and salt and there you have it.

Peta Cooks

Soto Ayam - Chicken Soup

Strong and pungent tastes are characteristics of all Malaysia's cuisine so it's not surprising to find that Malaysia is strategically placed on the spice route. For years people experimented with what the visiting merchants brought with them. Peta makes a spicy chicken soup using cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and star anise.

A chicken, portioned
1 tbsp fennel powder
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 stalk of lemongrass
2 tsp ginger
4 cloves of garlic
10 shallots
1/2 cup of candlenuts
2cm cinnamon stick
8 cloves
3 star anise
4 cardamom pods
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
Rice cubes
Grilled vermicelli noodles
Fresh coriander for garnish

Rub fennel, cumin and coriander powders into the chicken portions. Meanwhile coarsely chop lemongrass, ginger, shallots and candlenuts and place in blender. Add a little water and blend till chunky. Add cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom. Blend more adding enough water to make a sauce the consistency of porridge. Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the blender sauce in it for 5 mins. Add the chicken, mix in well and continue sautéing for another 10 mins. Cover with water, add salt and coriander and simmer, uncovered, for 45 mins. Remove chicken from soup and shred. Discard the bones.

To serve:
Place some rice cubes and vermicelli in the bottom of soup bowls. Fill up with the soup and place some chicken on top. Garnish with coriander.

Additional Information

Reading
Lonely Planet's World Food Guide Malaysia.
www.visitmalaysia.com

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