Cuisine of the southern states

The Southern States of Malaysia are specifically Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor.

Negeri Sembilan, is located about 50 km south of Kuala Lumpur. Rich in culture and history, the cuisine has a prevalent influence of Minangkabau culture. Traditional Negeri Sembilan food is hot and spicy, as one of the ingredients used is the chili padi, the hottest of chillies.

Popular dishes include rendang, (a deliciously thick traditional dry meat curry). Diners may stimulate the taste buds with the unique minangkabau style of cooking, which sees generous portions of 'chili padi' (small & extremely hot chilies). Authentic local favourites includes masak lemak cili api (beef, chicken or fish simmered in coconut milk with extra hot chilli and aromatic herbs), rendang minangkabau (beef rendang cooked in minangkabau style), rendang ayam negeri sembilan (chicken rendang) and udang goreng chili padi (hot & spicy prawns) meat, or vegetables cooked in coconut milk blended with turmeric and ground chili padi.

Melaka, is located between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. The historic state is home to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Melaka. Melaka is famous for delicious baba nyonya food as well as Portuguese food. Amongst some favourite dishes include nyonya laksa (served with herbs finely sliced cucumber on top to add freshness into the laksa), ayam tempra (braised soya sauce chicken), melaka satay celup (steamboat satay which is unique to Melaka - an assortment of raw and semi-cooked seafood, meat and vegetables on skewers are dunked into a hot boiling pot of thick and spicy peanut sauce served with satay kuah, melaka rojak (mixed fruits with kangkung vegetables) as well as enjoy the novelty of eating rice balls with chicken meat, cucumber and garlic chilli sauce or in short the much sought after chicken rice balls of Melaka.

Johor is the southern gateway to Malaysia. mouth-watering Johor specialities include laksa johor (scrumptious blend of spaghetti, fish curry gravy and vegetables), lontong (rice cubes with rich vegetable gravy), sayur lodeh (assorted vegetable, stewed in coconut milk), mee rebus (a noodle dish which consists of mee or yellow noodle, served with tangy, spicy brown gravy, and then topped with condiments) as well as mee soto (a special soup served with peanut, beansprout and chicken meat and rice) amongst others.

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