Perak Darul Ridzuan is one of 13 states in Federation of Malaysia. Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan (Preferred by locals, negeri or negri means : state) located at the northern part of Malaysia. Previous article we shared about our visit to Pasar Karat Loken Ipoh Perak. Well in this article we will in the same segment to introduce Perak to the whole world. This time we will cover on Perak Traditional Foods you should try. Perhaps you only found this menus in Perak Malaysia.
Perak Darul Ridzuan
Perak Darul Ridzuan is one of the 13 states in Malaysia located at the north region of peninsular Malaysia. Like other states in Malaysia, Perak Darul Ridzuan is rules by Head of State Government as known as “Menteri Besar” or Head of Ministers in Perak. Meanwhile The Head of State is currently holds by Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak.
Demography
The Malays or Bumiputera make up around 57.1% populations in Perak while Chinese 29% , Indian 11% and Other 2.9% .
The Bumiputera in Perak included Jawanese, Banjarese, Rawa Malays, Orang Asli and more others. Unlike Penang that conquered by Hokkien Chinese community, Perak was the the home of Cantonese and Hakka Chinese in Malaysia especially in Ipoh, the capital of Perak.
Read also : Activities You Can Do at Penang Island
The Malays and Bumiputera communities in Perak were mainly reside outie of Ipoh, the capital of Perak. While the Chinese community (Cantonese and Hakka) most of them live in major urban areas such as Ipoh, Sungai Siput and Taiping.
Climate
Throughout the years, all the states in Malaysia went through tropical climates. Malaysia has two monsoon seasons. The Northeast Monsoon, which runs from November to March, and the Southwest Monsoon, which runs from May to September, are the two monsoon seasons in Malaysia, though they can change every year. This indicates that at least one side of the peninsula typically experiences pleasant weather year-round.
In Perak especially we experienced the warm weather up to 30 Degree Celcius during day and around 25-27 Degree Celcius at night.
Traditional Foods
Kongsi Lah! will share about 5 Traditional Foods/menus origin from Perak and you need to try if you come to Perak. Among these menus, some of them only can be found in Perak and it is not same taste anymore if you try and buy it outside Perak.
Rendang Tok
Since the Malay community in Malaysia is truly familiar with this rendang, In Perak, the version of rendang is a bit different. As many states in Malaysia, Rendang Tok usually served as the main course on the morning of Aidilfitri. It is purported to originate from Batu Gajah, Perak’s Kampung Pisang.
Rendang Toj is made mostly of beef and in contrast to most rendang recipes, it’s prepared using both kerisik and coconut milk.
Laksa Kuala
Northern region of peninsular Malaysia quite familiar with Laksa Utara. Laksa Utara seems like the big subject of the dishes. Under Laksa Utara there were many more laksa that you can easily find at here. In Perak, Laksa Kuala Kangsa is the most popular and it originally from Kuala Kangsa, Perak.
This Kuala Kangsar laksa is made using whole wheat flour instead of rice flour, unlike laksa from the north. Selayang fish, which is more acidic and slightly runny than northern laksa, is used to make the soup. Laksa Kuala is one versions of Laksa Utara you may get easily if you come to visit to Northern region of Malaysia namely Perak, Kedah, Penang and Perlis.
Nasi Lemuni
Lemuni rice or preferred known as legundi rice is dark green because it’s far cooked with the leaves of the lemuni tree (scientific name: Vitex negundo Linn). However, these leaves are not often determined in stores and generally grow in village regions.
This dish is well-known around Kuala Kangsar and Lenggong district of Perak and is typically eaten collectively with dried shrimp sambal or anchovy sambal. On top of that it’s also appropriate for women who abstain after giving birth.
Kuih Cecemek /Cecemek Cake
I am pretty sure many people have never heard of this kuih cecemek, right? Even though this cake is not a common cakes for Perak community, but lucky for Kongsi Lah! crew during our visit in Ipoh we found this cakes made by the locals at the Ipoh Night Market.
This cake is made from whole wheat flour that is rolled into small pieces that create a hole in the middle. The hole is then filled with a mixture of sugar and coconut milk and then steamed until cooked.
Putu Perak
The last but not lease, Kongsi Lah! would introduce the one we tried during our visit at Pasar Karat Loken Ipoh. We also provide the link below for you to read our previous article about Perak Malaysia.
Read also : Pasar Karat Loken Ipoh Perak
“Putu” means “cake” or “steamed”, and “Perak” refers to its original state. This cake perhaps can be awarded as the national cake of the state of Perak.
Putu Perak is made from rice flour, grated coconut, and palm sugar is steamed to perfection, producing a soft, pillow texture with a subtle sweetness. The filling is filled by grated brown sugar and shredded coconut.
Perak Traditional Foods You Should Try! Apart from these 5 menus, there are a lot more we cannot share in this short article. Maybe we will publish the in the next categories. But all these 5 menus mentioned, Kongsi Lah! crew experience the taste by ourselves and recommend them to you if you are planning to stay for a holiday in Ipoh Perak.
We know that among 13 states in Malaysia, the articles about Perak such a rare and hard to find over the internet. Even though Perak is not the top tourism places to visit in Malaysia, we will still post on it and perhaps we will cover all 13 states in Malaysia during Kongsi Lah! visit in the future.
Perak the underrated tourism place to visit, but worth it if you want a calm and relax environments and enjoy the foods, natures and the cultures.
Have you gained something in this “Perak Traditional Foods You Should Try” article? Drop your comment on the comment section below to support us!
