Malaysian school lunches are a noisy affair – most school canteens have a Nasi Lemak stall, because if they didn’t, well, they’d automatically suck. And those Nasi Lemak stalls are always the certified Students’ Choice best stalls in the canteen, otherwise – well – it’d be weird.
For those of you who have never been to Malaysia and never seen Nasi Lemak before (and you have no idea what it is!) Nasi Lemak is, in direct translation from the Malay language to English: Fat Rice. But don’t worry, the fat content isn’t too bad… I think.
The basic template for Nasi Lemak is a bowlful mound of white rice steamed with coconut milk (or santan as we call it in Malaysia), a little sambal on the side (i.e. chilli paste), a few slices of raw cucumber and some roasted shelled peanuts and cheap dried anchovies. Anything else on that Nasi Lemak is up to the consumers’ choice – you’d usually get a selection of the usual stuff, like fried chicken, paru-paru (cow’s lungs usually smothered in sambal), perhaps some beef or extra vegetables.
I can’t say I know the scenario in other schools, but where I go, the Nasi Lemak stall is undisputedly the most popular one – you’d have kids dashing towards the Nasi Lemak stall five minutes before the recess bell rings, thanking the heavens that their classes ended early so that they don’t have to suffer waiting in line for ten minutes before they can get the good stuff. It is also one of the food items in Malaysia that can be crowned a “Malaysian food” – not Indian food, not Chinese food, not Malay food – Malaysian food.
Why? Everybody loves Nasi Lemak. It’s the equivalent of the Krabby Patty from Spongebob Squarepants – if you don’t like it, either you’ve never tasted one or – simply put – you’re just weird. Doesn’t matter what race or religion they are, or what age – from the Chinese to the Indians to the Malays, Malaysians love Nasi Lemak. And that is a fact.
It was recess time on a fine Thursday morning, and my friends and I were on our way down to the canteen. We were early, and so we planned on grabbing some Nasi Lemak. Walking behind us were two of our classmates. We overheard the conversation they shared :
“The idea of a Malaysian not liking Nasi Lemak is a little…hard to digest.”
“What? Who doesn’t like Nasi Lemak?”
“She doesn’t. People all over the country love it and she says she hates the taste.”
“I dunno, I just don’t seem to like the taste…”
That’s right – if you don’t like Nasi Lemak, you’re a weirdo.
We now move on from the Nasi Lemak to its faithful drink companion – the humble Teh Tarik, the equivalent of milk tea in Malaysia. Except it uses condensed milk and you literally “pull” the tea (it’s hard to describe, you’d have to see it yourself!). Popular everywhere from gritty gerai (stalls) by the roadside to five star restaurants, Teh Tarik, iced or hot, is a beverage enjoyed by the young and old, and one can typically find a mug of the stuff on tables at quaint little kopitiams (cafes), accompanying tired adults who have come to sit and have a chat and philosophize about life after a hard day’s work. It’s as common as coffee.
While making Teh Tarik seems like a simple concept, the tricky part is finding the right ratio of condensed milk and tea. Too little condensed milk and you end up with Teh Tarik that’s more on the bitter side. Too much condensed milk and you end up tasting too little of the tea. Some people think that the “correct” ratio of milk and tea is like the amount of sugar you prefer to stir in your tea or coffee – everyone has their preferences. But people generally prefer two equal parts of milk and tea for a balanced taste.
With all the petty little divisors that usually set people apart like culture, upbringing, religion, race – it’s nice to see Malaysians gather at a nearby gerai to enjoy a hot steaming plate of Nasi Lemak, or spend hours at a kopitiam chatting over mugs of coffee and Teh Tarik. In the storm of racism that goes on in a place like Malaysia, even the temporary unity that comes with the simple enjoyment of life’s simplest pleasures is just so good to see. It’s almost like a flash of hope. A shred of proof or comfort that maybe, just maybe, someday 1Malaysia really will happen. You just gotta love how food brings people together.
I hope you never look at Nasi Lemak the same way again.
Kamilia KA is still a high school kid on her last year at SBU, loves Nasi Lemak, and thinks that if only Malaysians could live the same way they can enjoy Nasi Lemak together, the country would achieve true unity.
Image taken from here.