According to The National Restaurant Association, Malaysian cuisine is one of the top 3 trending flavors for 2014. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Malaysian dish so I was super excited to get the invite for the Malaysian tasting by Chef Christina Arokiasamy, the first ever Malaysian Food Ambassador to the U.S.
It was an educational night as well as a delicious exploration for my palate. The point of the evening was to showcase the ingredients that make up Malaysian cuisine. It’s a culmination of Chinese, Indian, Indonesian & Thai spices.
It was an opportunity to see up close how simple the dishes are to make with the spices available now in the U.S. because of The Malaysian External Trade Development Corporations new baby called the Malaysia Kitchen USA program. Many of the spices are new to the U.S. but will be available in over 400 national stores such as Whole Foods and Cost Plus World Market. The program caters to the needs of the time-savvy home cook with easy preparation methods. The sauces and spices have already been pre packaged, without compromising flavors and nutrition so all you have to do is add the meat, or the shrimp.
I was not prepared for the amount of food that was on its way out of the kitchen. We started the night off with starters, then lunch items, then dinner items and then desserts. As Chef Christina says, “At breakfast we talk about what we are going to eat for lunch, at lunch we talk about what we are going to eat for dinner. Our life revolves around food.”
“The curiosity behind Malaysian ingredients remains untapped in the U.S. market” says Arokiasamy. “By introducing our Malaysian food and beverage products that are all-natural, value-driven, easy-to-make, and authentic in taste, American families can access and enjoy flavorful, healthy choices from packet to plate in the convenience of their own homes.”
For more information on the Malaysian Kitchen USA Program and to bring a taste of Malaysia into your home CLICK HERE