Few know that the Chinese glorify the Malays in their dishes

 

IT is said that food is a vital part of one’s culture. Besides nourishing the tribe, it is food that brings them together, through communal dining or even through the simple act of preparation.

As we head into the election, Malaysians from all walks of life will undoubtedly hear hateful rhetorics and racial narratives.

For too long the Chinese have been used to scare the Malays into voting for a certain  political group who claim that they, and only they, hold the key towards the survival of their race.

But is this the reality of the situation? Perhaps we can find some answers in the humble Chinese kitchen.

According to netizen @guttapercha88, the Kangkung Belacan, which is a humble Malay dish, is actually held in high regard by the Chinese.

He claimed that the Chinese gave it a beautiful name, — 馬來風光 , which when directly translated into English, means Malay Glory.

When Malaysian Chinese dine at Chinese restaurants, we rarely call this ‘Kangkung belacan’ (參巴炒空心菜)

Instead we call this dish with a beautiful name for it — 馬來風光 (it literally means ‘Kemegahan Melayu’) pic.twitter.com/Kf0PTNqJGv

— GP size 80 (@guttapercha88) August 11, 2026

He continued, pointing to a simple stir fried petai, long beans, okra, and eggplant in sambal belacan and fish.

The name of that dish was called The Four Heavenly Gods. Note that these are all vital ingredients for the Malay ulam.

The list continues. @guttapercha88 went on to describe a cake originating from Hong Kong called Ma Lai Gou in Cantonese which translates simply to Kuih Melayu.

Note that the ingredients such as santan and gula melaka made their way to Hong Kong, hence, the tribute.

The sharing session was far from over. Netizen @ohcheepeng added that there was a dish in China which uses the satay sauce from Malaya. 

“Chinese names are so extra,” said @mokudesuka while @jet_law brought attention to a dish involving chicken feet.

The Malays certainly approve of these names, take netizen @elmoehussaini for example with his photo comment:

“You sir, should be the ambassador of racial unity in Malaysia. We need that,” continued @zacloud123.

The Malays were quick to reciprocate too, with @anisarazak pointing out that they had the Nasi Goreng Cina too.

Perhaps that is the irony of Malaysian food: while politicians spend years telling us how different we are, our kitchens have long been telling us otherwise.

The names given to these dishes are more than just amusing translations. They are little reminders of how cultures borrow, adapt and celebrate one another.

From kangkung belacan to Nasi Goreng Cina, what we eat has never respected the racial boundaries that politicians so often try to draw.

Perhaps, as we head towards another election, we should spend less time listening to those who tell us to fear one another and more time sitting around the same table.

After all, if our food can celebrate each other, surely Malaysians can too.—Focus Malaysia