Scorching chilies

Without chilies, one’s cooking would be very bland and tasteless. A dash of chilli powder will add more body and flavour to the food. Chilies are not only used in main dishes, but also in desserts, chocolates and beverages. Chillies are used for different purposes: the Malays use dried or fresh chilies by blending or pounding them using a mortar and pestle. The Indians on the other hand use green chillies and chilli powder to be added to their curries. Whereas, the Chinese only use a small amount of chillies in their cuisine. A burning hot chilly produce an awakening affect and increase the acuity of the senses. Chilies are also known for its stimulant effect; as such they help in blood circulation and raise body temperature

Fruit culinary culture

In Malaysia, fruits are cultivated throughout the year and some are based on the season. Fruits like banana, papaya, guava, starfruit, jackfruit, mangoes, ciku (sapodilla) and melons are available all year round. Whereas, some fruits like durian, rambutan, mangosteen, cempedak, and duku are in season from May to July. Surprisingly, in recent years some of these fruits are available all year round. Fruits can be easily found at fruit stalls by the road-side, night markets, wet markets, supermarkets and hypermarkets as well as some provision shops throughout the country

Durian truffles

Malaysians have been enjoying durian for many generations. Besides eating them fresh, durian can be made into traditional dishes as well as modern dishes. The combination of durian and chocolate in making ‘durian truffles’, for instance, has somehow signified a modernised feature of a gourmet food product. The application of durian in truffles (a ganache which consists a mixture of chocolate and fresh cream) as western dessert origin is viewed as new discovery resulted from the amalgamation of ‘East meet West’ culinary. Durian truffles manifest authentic luxury in a localized chocolate product due to the rich durian flavour mixed with cream and combined with a mixture of cooking chocolate forming a smooth velvety texture. Durian truffles as a product of culinary refinement are ideally served as petite four for cocktail parties