Malaysian Delights

Rose Apples

While these look like regular apples, they are lighter and crisper, and filled with water. On a hot day in Malaysia, this is a refreshing fruit that you can pick up at many a fruit stand, which will sell them pre-cut in plastic bags with long toothpicks for eating on the go.

Fruit Juice

We enjoyed freshly squeezed juice daily in Malaysia. More satisfying, healthy, and cost effective than other drinks, fruit juice will usually cost between 2 and 5 MY, depending on your choice of fruit and vendor. My favorite was a starfruit and passion fruit blend, concocted by a friendly English-speaking Chinese man in Melaka.

Three fruit juices--watermelon, orange, and ambra--originally served in a plastic bag. We decided to take our juice back to the hostel to enjoy them in bowls rather than bags.

Ambra

This is a strange, little fruit that hangs in green clusters, and many Malaysians sell it as part of their fruit juice offerings, often with an added sour plum. Intrigued, I decided to try an Ambra juice straight up, but I couldn't finish it due to the strange combination of sour and bitter flavors and the almost gritty texture of this highly potent drink. Many locals boasted about the health effects of Ambra, but the flavor might not be worth it. However, I think if you were to add it in with other sweeter, lighter fruit juices, it might make a satisfying mixed drink.

White Coffee

The name of this drink sounded exotic and colonial to me, and, since I am not a coffee drinker, I was eager to have my Italian friend try it out and report back. In the end, white coffee turned out to be nothing more than coffee with creamer or milk.

Ice Floss

Also called shaved ice, I had this cool delight in Taipei as well as Melaka, and it was just as good at each place. Unlike ice cream, ice floss is fluffy and crystallized, with a lighter texture that does not stand separate from the flavor like a snow cone does. The dishes are often topped with complementary treats, usually fruit, and sometimes even drizzled with sauce or syrup. On a hot day, this is the perfect afternoon treat.