malaysian food ...

each morning and afternoon my students and i eat together, and i am told that the food we receive is typical of the national diet:

our breakfast spread always includes a spicy noodle dish as the main course, and lots of little sweet cakes for dessert. these cakes are funny, actually ... they come in myriad florescent colours and are made of glutinous rice flour (so they have a VERY strange consistency ... imagine starchy gelatin ... in florescent pink!!)


lunch invariably includes a wide range of protein options: curried chicken, spicy shrimp, spicy squid, fried fish, and an array of indian-style vegetarian dishes, all served over rice. dessert is comprised of various fresh fruits, most of which i have never heard of.

i have been eating dinner at places near my hotel, and my Costa Rican buddies and I usually revert to 'western' food. i have noticed, however, that curried fish heads and shark fin (either in soup or braised) are quite popular with the locals ...