Kopi and Teh

[Chris]

Teh Tarik from the Sarabat Stall

Tea was traditionally sold from Indian vendors who had a long history of selling hot drinks. Their business was known as the Sarabat stall (Sarba is Arabic for drink). The word for tea has variations across the world and as far as the drink’s popularity spread. To Malays it is known as teh, but as neighbors referred to it as: Te (Hokkien), Cha (Mandarin), and Chai (India).

Teh Tarik is ‘pulled’ or ‘stretched’ tea in Malay. Making Teh Tarik involves an elaborate performance of mixing condensed milk with hot tea by pouring the mixture from one condensed milk can to another, so as to cool and blend the flavors at the same time. The empty cans used to be recycled and then used as takeaway cups to customers.

Kick-start your morning with a piping-hot cup of "kopi”

The Malaysian Coffee Shop

One of my absolute favorite things on our world trip has been to rise early and walk the streets as towns wake up, towards the nearest coffee shop to sit with old men, usually. There is something invigorating and utterly fresh feeling to witness how people start their day and open shop in the street. I would often bring my camera and notepad to take down some of the traditions we had learned over the past day. In, old colonial Malacca I found a perfect such place. After turning down the 5 RMB cappuccinos to tourists on Jonker street, I discovered a tiny local place around the corner that was packed morning. Kopi Tiam, or coffeehouses, were once an integral part of society but now are pretty hard to come by. The old men inside all took there morning noodles with a coffee on the side. I asked for “Kopi O" (rocket fuel-grade black coffee), or sometimes in the morning I’ll take “kopi” (coffee with evaporated milk), and toast with a generous slab of chilled butter slathered with homemade kaya (a rich coconut-egg spread). Malaysian coffee is served in a traditional ceramic cup with a deep saucer that is also used to hold a bit of coffee. I was determined to get to the bottom of this. Some people I asked said it was to keep the coffee warm, others that coffee is served in generous amounts right to the brim, and the overflow is normal.

On our last morning in Malacca I really lucked out. While getting a bit of letters and correspondence done, a middle-aged man sat down at the other side of the large table I was hogging in the packed room. He was curious to talk to me, and spoke excellent English. We exchanged travel tales from Europe on the Eurostar and I slipped in a few of my own curious questions about Malaysia. After his noodles were slurped, he was off to start the day, my coffee was topped up, and he was replaced by an old man.

Nyonya Food- China has always traded with lands near and far across the globe. During the Ming Dynasty, as a diplomatic gesture to strengthen ties with the rich and strategic port of Malacca on the Malayan Peninsula, the Emperor of China betrothed his daughter Princess Hang Li Po to the Sultan of Malacca. A unique marriage of cultures resulted in a novel marriage of cuisines, both Chinese and Malay, and is what is now known in Malaysia as Nyonya cuisine.

The old man had hours to talk. He was a retired math teacher who had travelled the world in his retirement to all corners. When he learned of our plan we exchanged many of the cultural differences we had taken note of. I was embarrassed at our short stay in Malaysia and now have a long list of places to see and unfinished business. This was somewhat redeemed by my passion for foods I have tried in our 10 days in his country. When he discovered I hadn’t tried one of the pastries at the front counter, I couldn’t’t resist a new taste and brought a bag of ‘Ondeh Ondeh’ back to the table. He explained that this was known as Nyonya, a marriage of Chinese and Malay cooking, while the black sugary liquid inside gave me a surprising sweet taste. The man continued to teach me words, philosophies on patience, and I learned way more about a person than you would expect as someone just travelling by. I told him before leaving how much I loved the traditional porcelain cups of kopi in Malaysia and he arranged with the family to find me a brand new one to take home as an original souvenir.

Kaya

Another souvenir I would not leave this country without is the famous Kaya - a thick and fragrant Peranakan jam. I am addicted to the stuff. The word literally means -rich- in Malay - maybe too much for Steph. At the hostel in Singapore we were given the green variety (made with white sugar and bamboo leaves) that was probably off the supermarket shelf. Then I tried the homemade amber-gold version in Malaysia, made with brown sugar. This process involves standing in front of the stove for half a day, stirring a steadily thickening mixture made from eggs, brown sugar, pandan essence and coconut cream. It was honestly the best thing toast had ever seen. Definitely sneak a jar into your suitcase to bring home. I was so worried the strict Australian agriculture police were going to take my treasure before bringing my Mom a taste in Sydney. You might have to go with the shop version that lasts longer. The Tong Heng brand is pretty good and available in most supermarkets.

I later tried homemade Kaya with French toast and almost fell over from comfort food delight. Our friend Sara Sam took us to one of the coffee shop institutions in KL for lunch, Yut Kee. She commanded the menu like a 5-star general and before we knew it the table was invaded with food from every corner. She took us on a culinary adventure, encouraging us to try everything. Her adventures in travel and food were aligned like ours. We had a lot in common…and Steph and I had a lot to learn.

To be continued…