Top 10: Malaysian tea-time snacks

This week, our top 10 post remains on the topic of... FOOD! My my, look at those faces of glee! Riding on the popularity of our top 10 nasi lemak post last week, today we present you our top 10 list of favourite Malaysian tea-time snacks (and where to get the best of each of course!)

1. Goreng pisang (Fried banana)
This is arguably the quintessential Malaysian snack. Oil-saturated yet sinfully delicious, delightfully crispy on the outside yet wonderfully soft on the inside, no Malaysian would turn away an offer of freshly fried goreng pisang. According to Mark's Makan, (and yours truly who vouches for this place), the best goreng pisang can be found at Azmi Goreng Pisang in Section 15, Shah Alam. Check it out! Also, check out the famous Brickfields goreng pisang (from feedmelah.com/blog/).

2. Keropok lekor (Fish sausages)
A trip to the Malaysian East Coast  would be incomplete without tasting and buying back some keropok lekor. Made of fish paste and fried or boiled to suit different tastes, keropok lekor, when eaten hot and fresh, is good enough to make you want to skip a meal altogether and just feed on those tasty fish sausages. We trawled the net for the best keropok lekor spots in KL and came across this and this. Also check out this post for an interesting insight into how keropok lekor is made in Terengganu.

3. Popiah
Widely regarded as a healthy snack (or even a full meal by itself) among Malaysians, popiah are not only great to eat but fun to make too! You get to choose your fillings, and the possibilities are endless! The anchor filling of popiah are turnip strips, in addition to cucumbers, groundnuts, meat strips, eggs, tofu, bean sprouts and virtually anything else that suits your fancy. The trick of getting good popiah lies in its skin. The thinner the skin, the better! Check out KY Speaks for places you can get great popiah.

4. Kuih Nyonya
Sweet and savoury, kuih Nyonya are a firm favourite of all Malaysians. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colours and fillings. Some of the more popular ones include kuih talam (the two-layered green-and-white kuih), kuih kochi (glutinous rice with peanut filling wrapped in banana leaf), pulut tai tee (blue glutinous rice served with kaya), among many, many others. They make great tea-time snacks and wake you up instantly with a rush of sugar. Click here and here for some of the places you can find good Kuih Nyonya.

5. Curry puff
Everybody loves piping hot curry puffs with their irresistible crispy skin. Another quintessential Malaysian snack, eating curry puffs just gives you a kick you don't get from most other snacks. The reason for this is its spiciness, and we know Malaysians are suckers for spiciness! Also, don't we all love the puff pastry! They are good enough to eat on their own, but only when they're fresh from the oven of course. Check out The Star's Archive for a great list of curry puff places all over Malaysia. 

6. Cendol
On a sweltering day, sitting down for a nice bowl of cendol would be enough to make anyone sigh with satisfaction and forget the heat. It is made with gula melaka, coconut milk, crushed ice, red beans and sweet jelly-like green strips we call cendol. There have been improvisations over the years, and now you can find interesting twists to the traditional recipe, such as mango cendol, durian cendol and ice-cream cendol. One of the best places to savour this mouth-watering treat is Klang. Click here and here to read more about the famous Klang Cendol.

7. Ais Batu Campur / Ice kacang
Ais Batu Campur (ABC), or fondly referred to as Ice-kacang, is a delightful, mouth-watering snack consisting of an amalgam of sweet treats such as red beans, corn syrup,  rose syrup, coconut milk, cendol, jelly, atapchi, and all sorts of other sweet additions. Just like the cendol, ice kacang is Malaysia's saviour from the hot weather. Give anyone a bowl on a hot day, and watch them order another bowl right after they finish the first. Check this out for an ice kacang recommendation.

8. Kaya toast
Most Malaysians grew up with this snack. It is no wonder, as the kaya toast is both delicious and healthy. Pop two pieces of bread in the toaster, slab some kaya with butter on top while they're still hot, and voila! You get a mouth-watering snack which is easy to make yet utterly yummy. Click here and here to check out great kaya toast hotspots.

9. Satay
Satay make great snacks or side dishes. Consisting of chicken or beef meat lumps held aloft on a thin wooden skewer,  they are simple finger food for those wanting a meat treat without stuffing themselves. What makes satay great is how they are grilled and infused with flavour due to the marination and accompanying dips. This site and this site have some wonderful satay recommendations.

10. Muruku
Everybody loves crisp, crunchy murukus. They are fuss-free, fun to eat, and freaking awesome! Though they are found mainly during Indian festivals such as Deepavali,  murukus make great snacks and a quick pick-me-up all year round. Adults love them, kids adore them! Check out The Star's archive for some muruku recommendations along with a cool muruku recipe.

There you go! Do leave comments below if you know of great places to find these well-loved Malaysian treats. Good things are meant to be shared!