1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,440 Six cooks, 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:05,160 six countries, 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,840 six incredible journeys. 4 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:09,760 Whoa! Yeah! 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:11,680 Stepping outside 6 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:13,080 their comfort zones... 7 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,640 It's not for the faint-hearted, for sure. 8 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,640 ..our cooks will travel far and wide... 9 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,160 Route 7 all the way. 10 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,320 ..to find some of the most exciting food on the planet. 11 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:28,600 If you're back in the UK, 12 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,040 you've got Tandoori chicken, nothing like this. 13 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:33,880 It's beautiful, this is the 14 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:35,480 best food I've had in Egypt. 15 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:39,000 It's pure, it's got heritage, it's got love in it, you know? 16 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,680 They'll go off the beaten track... 17 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,320 Crocodile, crocodile sausages. 18 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,080 ..meeting extraordinary people... 19 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,720 ..exploring ways of life 20 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,840 unchanged for centuries. 21 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,040 No electric blenders in the jungle, 22 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,200 have to do everything by hand. 23 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,720 Take your life into your own hands, we're on the road now. 24 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,520 As they travel, they'll see how the language of food 25 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,760 transcends cultural differences... 26 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,720 I've never huffed on a cheese before. 27 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,560 ..and a world away from home. 28 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,080 This is why I love Australia. 29 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,600 There's no excuse for a bad pie in Australia. No. 30 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,760 If this is the beginning, where do we end? 31 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,240 They'll learn lessons 32 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,000 that could change the way we cook forever. 33 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,080 I've been cooking a barbecue wrongly all my life. 34 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:26,120 Wow! 35 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,120 This time, cook and food writer Rachel Khoo travels to the country 36 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,640 of her ancestors - Malaysia. 37 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,640 Oh, my goodness that's my dad! 38 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,240 She'll discover how a country at the heart of Southeast Asia became 39 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:45,960 such a culinary melting pot. 40 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,040 There seems to be food for everyone here. 41 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:49,960 She'll find out how different cultures 42 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:51,560 have made their mark on the food... 43 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,440 This is at another level. 44 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,440 ..and learn secrets about her own family's past. 45 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,760 My ancestors could have been drug dealers. 46 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:02,640 Line cleared. 47 00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:11,920 I'm Rachel Khoo. 48 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:15,160 I grew up in Croydon, but moved to Paris in my 20s 49 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,080 where I trained as a pastry chef. 50 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:18,640 Then, in my studio flat, 51 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:21,120 I set up the city's tiniest restaurant, 52 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,440 which became known as The Little Paris Kitchen. 53 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,200 I have the perfect recipe to recreate that Parisian patisserie 54 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,320 experience at home. 55 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,040 I'm known for my French cooking, 56 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,240 but I am in fact half Malaysian. 57 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,520 I know surprisingly little about that part of my heritage, 58 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,120 but that's about to change. 59 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:46,560 I'm travelling 6,500 miles to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, 60 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,760 on what I hope will be a real journey of discovery. 61 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,400 The amount of skyscrapers going up is insane. 62 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,680 It's hustling, it's bustling. 63 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,000 It's never quiet here. 64 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,080 So I've been to Malaysia four or five times now. 65 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,400 I know a little bit about Malaysian food, 66 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,240 but I think my knowledge is very basic in comparison to what 67 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,120 I know about French food or Western style cooking. 68 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:35,760 Malaysia sits at the crossroads 69 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,920 of Asia, which accounts, in part, 70 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:39,960 for its ethnic diversity. 71 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,320 It's a Muslim country where indigenous Malays make up half 72 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,760 the population and live alongside Chinese Malaysians, Indian Malaysians 73 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:49,600 and tribal groups. 74 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,120 I want to discover how the different cultures have influenced 75 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,760 the cuisine here and whether, in a world full of conflict, 76 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,320 a passion for good food can be a unifying force. 77 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,440 I really want to find out what the Malaysian classics are. So in the UK, 78 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,640 you have your fish and chips, your roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, 79 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,800 but what are the classic Malaysian dishes? 80 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,360 I'm on my way to a family reunion at my uncle's house on the outskirts 81 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,040 of Kuala Lumpur. 82 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:25,560 I am super excited about going to Uncle Teng's. 83 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,760 Haven't seen some of the relatives in a very long time. 84 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,720 I... Maybe some of them I've never met, could be, 85 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,520 or the last time I met, I was like this high. 86 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,080 So it'll be good to meet up with some of them again. 87 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,560 My family are part of the 25% of the population who are Chinese Malaysian 88 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,840 and as far as we know have been here for at least four generations. 89 00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:50,840 Whenever anybody visits the Khoo family, 90 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:53,120 there is always food involved. 91 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,640 It's not how are you, it's have you eaten yet, which is the most 92 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,560 important question you ask your guest. 93 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:05,720 This trip is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with my family and find 94 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,880 out how we Khoos fit into the bigger picture of multicultural Malaysia. 95 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,320 Hello, hello. A long time I haven't seen you. 96 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:14,920 Hello, I know. I know. 97 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:16,320 So how are you? 98 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,160 I'm good, how are you, Uncle? OK. OK. 99 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,640 How's your father? He's good too. 100 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,760 So nice to see you. Yeah, good to see you too. 101 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,000 Hello, Uncle. It's nice to see you. Hello. 102 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,200 'Uncle Teng is my dad's older brother. 103 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,720 'The last time I came to visit him was over ten years ago.' 104 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,760 Oh, wow! Oh, Sebby! 105 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,120 Hey, how are you? Hello, Rachel, nice to meet you again. 106 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:42,280 Yeah, it's nice to see you. 107 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:45,240 He's organised a Chinese pot luck lunch, which means everyone's 108 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,720 brought a dish to share, everyone except me, that is. 109 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,720 So you can come in and show us some of your skills. 110 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,480 So I've asked my cousin, Eileen, 111 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:56,680 if we can make my contribution together. 112 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,480 With any luck, I'll learn something too. 113 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,440 Yeah, some of the food that we have prepared 114 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,200 and some we are waiting for you. 115 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,320 Oh, to help out. To help out. 116 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,520 I know that you love wonton. OK? I love wonton. 117 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,640 Yeah, but so, this is a little bit different, 118 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,720 this is the fried type. OK. 119 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,400 So very, you can use it as... 120 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,920 I mean, serve it at parties as a snack or you can eat it with rice. 121 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,280 Oh, fantastic. Yeah, so this is a very Malaysian Chinese dish. 122 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,680 'Chinese food is the least spicy cuisine you'll find in Malaysia. 123 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:31,480 'This wonton filling is just a mix of pork-mince, prawns 124 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,360 'and spring onions.' 125 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,640 I don't cook that much Malaysian food, actually. 126 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,680 No. 127 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,080 Now, we can do some wrapping. Yeah. 128 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,200 Uncle, you know how to do? 129 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:48,600 Are you going to show me, Uncle, how to do it? Yes. 130 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,040 Yeah. All right. 131 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,160 So where do you get your ingredients from? Do you go to the wet market? 132 00:06:58,160 --> 00:06:59,440 Or the supermarket? 133 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:02,200 They even come to your house?! 134 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,760 Fantastic. Yes, they come on a motorcycle. Uh-huh. 135 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,200 And they hoot. 136 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,560 Oh, they... They hoot! Yeah, yeah. 137 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,840 'Wontons can be made with pretty much any filling 138 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,280 'and they freeze well too. 139 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,960 'But, they need to be fried in a really hot oil 140 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,520 'if you don't want them soggy.' 141 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,640 They're going a lovely, crispy, golden colour. Yeah. 142 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,560 I am very excited. If it's firm, then it's cooked, I assume. 143 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,160 - Do you both like these? - Yes. Yeah? 144 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:53,560 Yeah, you might have to blow it a little bit. 145 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,000 It's crunchy, it's got that lovely moist filling, 146 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,120 bit of spring onion, very fresh and then that tiny bit of pepper. 147 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,840 Perfect little snack and really good with the chilli sauce. 148 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,600 All right, let's just take these through. 149 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,520 You coming? We'll go eat some food now. Yes. 150 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,920 'Unlike at home where one dish is the focal point of a meal, 151 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,520 'Malaysians love to pick and mix their flavours.' 152 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,280 Definitely not like an English meal. There's a lot more colour, 153 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,120 a lot more spice. 154 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,600 You know, you've got everything from a stew 155 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,480 to some spicy vegetables there, 156 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,200 then the noodles, there's a curry, 157 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,680 there's roast pork, so it's really eclectic. 158 00:08:35,680 --> 00:08:38,160 So I think there's a dish for everyone here. 159 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,440 'This Chinese food may look familiar, 160 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,680 'but it's different from what we're used to. 161 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:51,320 'Here, Chinese immigrants have combined classic flavours with local 162 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,680 'ingredients like coconut milk and lemon grass to make a cuisine 163 00:08:54,680 --> 00:08:56,440 'you won't find anywhere else.' 164 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,000 This is delicious, Uncle Teng. Yes. Really tasty. 165 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:09,280 So it seems to me that food is a big part of Malaysian culture. 166 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,000 Yes. And what other things make you Malaysian, do you think? 167 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,680 But I do think it's changing, though. I think nowadays the younger 168 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:35,680 people, we don't focus so much as in like, 169 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:37,360 "Oh, you're Malaysian Chinese," 170 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:38,880 we're just Malaysian, you know? 171 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:43,400 Our diversity in terms of culture, it's... 172 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:48,040 it's a big part of who we are and our identity, yeah. 173 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,440 No Khoo get-together would be complete 174 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,400 without some old family photos. 175 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:00,920 This is your grandfather, your grandmother. 176 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:02,840 Uncle, do you know which one Dad is? 177 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,800 This is, I think, your father. I think that's Dad, isn't it? 178 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:08,240 Yeah, this is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 179 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,560 I can't recognise my dad. He looks so cheeky. 180 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,280 Who do you think that is? 181 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:16,560 It's you. Yeah, it was on... 182 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:17,960 Yeah, this was when your... 183 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,440 First trip. Yes, your first trip to Malaysia. 184 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,440 Michael and Rachel. My brother. 185 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:29,080 Seeing the photos really inspired me to want to discover 186 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,560 more about my heritage and learn more about my dad's background 187 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:35,800 and where he came from, what he, you know, where he grew up. 188 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,360 Yeah, it's a real personal journey for me. 189 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,680 Today, I'm leaving KL to find out more about how the different 190 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:01,640 cultures here live and, more importantly, eat. 191 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,800 I know that Malaysia was a key player in the 15th-century spice trade, 192 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,600 but that's just the start of the food story. 193 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,280 Since then, people from all 194 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,200 over Asia have made their mark on the cuisine here. 195 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,760 For breakfast, my cousins Eileen and Melissa are introducing me 196 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,320 to Malaysia's most popular dish - nasi lemak. 197 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,760 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 198 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:30,240 So the Malaysian national dish, basically, for breakfast. 199 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,640 Well, actually I think you could just call it a Malaysian dish 200 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,240 because you... I have this for lunch, I have this for dinner as 201 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,520 well, sometimes, so you pretty much can have it any time of the day. 202 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,040 Brits have fish and chips, you have nasi lemak. Nasi lemak. 203 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,560 It's coconut rice, cucumber, peanuts, anchovies, 204 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:52,600 a boiled egg and a spicy relish or sambal. 205 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,600 It's quite spicy. This one's quite spicy. 206 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,320 I can feel the heat, very flavoursome. 207 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,960 You know you get the saltiness from the anchovies, 208 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,920 but then you've got like these chillies, and like whoo! 209 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,280 You just have the sambal 210 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,600 that's added to the anchovies that makes it different 211 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,120 to the taste of this. 212 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:21,000 This sambal is made with a fermented shrimp paste called belachan. 213 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,920 Belachan is actually a very common taste that you use in all 214 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,840 kinds of...sambal cooking. 215 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,680 Is it a bit like how the Thais have their fish sauce, 216 00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:32,720 the Malays have their belachan? 217 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:34,600 Yes. Yeah. 218 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,600 What I love about Malaysian food is there's such a variety. 219 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,640 You can see it a bit on the table with the nasi lemak. 220 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,000 It's very Malaysian. This feels quite Chinese, I think, 221 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,520 with the spring rolls. 222 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:50,880 The reason why is because in Malaysia we have got different 223 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:55,960 mixed group so the Malays, their food will have more sambal into it, 224 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:57,280 like the nasi lemak here, 225 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:58,600 whereas the Chinese, 226 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:04,080 they use lesser spice, like the crispy popiah, and they like to 227 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:07,880 have their food fried and crispy. 228 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:11,360 Hopefully, on my journey round Malaysia, I'll discover more 229 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,400 about the different ethnic groups, the different types of food 230 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,080 which each group has. 231 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,600 Everything in Malaysia tastes really good, 232 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,680 like, this is just the tip of the iceberg. 233 00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:21,960 There's so much more to try, 234 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,120 and I think you're really going to enjoy it. 235 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,560 I think I'll be rolling from one place to another. 236 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:30,520 I already need to wear my elasticated pants. 237 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:40,920 And now it's time to roll on over to the station. 238 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,960 I'm heading north to where my dad grew up. 239 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:49,880 Could I have a ticket to Ipoh, please? This morning? 240 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,720 Yes, please. 241 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:56,240 So I got a bit of a bargain here, it was like seven pounds for a ticket 242 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,960 to Ipoh, and that's about two-and-a-half hour's journey, 243 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:05,240 so I don't think you'd get very far in the UK with seven pounds. 244 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,280 Ipoh is two hours north of Kuala Lumpur 245 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,880 and it's Malaysia's third largest city. 246 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,560 I'm being a bit naughty here. 247 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:19,120 I heard an announcement you're not supposed to bring on 248 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:24,240 any outside food, but I couldn't resist these crazy layered cakes. 249 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,880 This is something I know from my childhood. It's something 250 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,040 I had a lot when I visited my granny in Ipoh, so it's quite fitting that 251 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:34,640 I'm on the train to Ipoh and having, like, a little layer cake. 252 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,960 Apparently, the local way to eat it is to pull off... 253 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,880 the individual layers like this. 254 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,160 It has like a little bit of a rice flavour, bit of coconut, 255 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:50,960 it's not very sweet, which is unusual 256 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,680 cos a lot of Asian desserts are very sweet. 257 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,080 It's really nice. I like it. 258 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,720 It's a bit odd. I mean, the pink one is a bit... 259 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,520 a bit crazy coloured for me, but it's very tasty. 260 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,360 The British ruled Malaysia from the mid-1800s until 1957. 261 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:18,760 During that time, 262 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,440 it became the world's largest exporter of tin and rubber. 263 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,440 The massive work force, imported from China and India, 264 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:29,320 made the country the cultural melting pot it is today. 265 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,160 Feels like I've definitely arrived to this sleepier town. 266 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:43,840 It's a lot quieter, less people getting off the train. 267 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,120 It's not got the hustle and bustle of KL. 268 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,960 Plus, it's got this beautiful kind of colonial building here. 269 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,880 Ipoh was the tin-mining capital of the British Empire. 270 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,400 Chinese entrepreneurs flocked here to make their fortune. 271 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:04,040 By the time Malaysia gained its independence in 1957, 272 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,960 it had become known as the City of Millionaires. 273 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:09,640 While the Chinese prospered, 274 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,680 the indigenous Malays were left with less than 5% 275 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,600 of the country's national wealth. 276 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,400 Resentment grew and, in 1969, 277 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:21,320 Malaysia erupted in weeks of bloody violence. 278 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:25,880 Hundreds of people died before the authorities got things under control. 279 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,280 To avoid further violence, the government introduced 280 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:34,280 a new economic policy, designed to pull the Malays out of poverty 281 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,360 and restore economic balance. 282 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,640 My dad grew up here in Ipoh and left Malaysia when he was just 16, 283 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:44,480 a year before the riots. 284 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,600 The school he went to was built for the sons of wealthy Chinese 285 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,960 businessmen, but today, it's open to everyone. 286 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,920 I want to see how things have changed 287 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,200 since my dad was a pupil here. And as it's lunchtime, 288 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:57,960 I'm starting in the canteen. 289 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,120 I can see it's not just Chinese kids here now. 290 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:07,080 And everyone's tucking in, because the food looks incredible. 291 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,120 It's all very tasty, smells amazing. 292 00:17:09,120 --> 00:17:11,440 This is definitely not what I had for school lunch. 293 00:17:13,360 --> 00:17:15,280 No excuse for skipping lunch here. 294 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:17,280 There's something for everyone. 295 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,480 Malay classics like beef rendang and sambal. 296 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,880 Chinese noodle soups and sweet and sour chicken. 297 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,360 And Indian curries and rotis. 298 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,680 So do all of the kids eat this food? 299 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,000 Most of the Chinese kids and the Malay kids. 300 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,040 Mostly Chinese and Malay kids. Yeah, because Indians most probably, 301 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:42,320 they are eating this every day at home, right? 302 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:44,640 So they want something different. 303 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,720 In Malaysia, most of the kids are... 304 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,240 They are very used to eating all other foods. 305 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,960 There's no particular food on the...based on the race. 306 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,760 In the UK, we have dinner ladies, they cook every day at school. 307 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:01,600 Are you employed by this school or...? 308 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,560 This is... We have my own worker. 309 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:08,200 She will do the cooking here normally, early in the morning, 310 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,640 but today she's not working. We had prepared in the house 311 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,040 and brought it here. 312 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,680 Each person has their own little stand here, it looks like. 313 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,760 Yeah, it will be permanent for two years 314 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:20,000 and then the school will renew what we call the tender. 315 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,680 So, there are no dinner ladies here. Instead, students pay 316 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,240 the stalls directly, 317 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,320 which means a varied menu at an affordable price. 318 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,320 The selection is vast and shows just how 319 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:35,640 complex the Malaysian food story is. 320 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:38,480 Do you always have noodles? 321 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,160 Yeah, we have a variety of noodle. We have different soups 322 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:42,600 so we can choose. 323 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,200 Would you eat other food? Like, would you eat Indian food? 324 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,000 Yeah? I take Malay food, Chinese, Indian food. 325 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,160 Doesn't matter where it comes from? You like to mix it up? 326 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:53,720 Yeah. Fantastic. 327 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:55,280 What's really interesting here, 328 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:59,320 there's not a turkey twizzler in sight, not a kiddie menu. 329 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,720 It's actually something you could serve to kids and grown-ups, 330 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,480 so really delicious and actually making me very hungry. 331 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,520 But before I tuck in, I've arranged to meet a very special person - 332 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,840 Datuk Lean, who was at school with my dad. 333 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:18,360 This edition is 1968, the year your dad left school. 334 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:21,360 This might interest you. Do you have photographs of your dad 335 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:25,280 when he was young? Not that many. Oh! Not that many. 336 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:27,440 Oh, here you are, the last row. 337 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,640 Oh, my goodness, that's my dad! Yeah. 338 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:32,400 He looks very serious. 339 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,880 Very serious, very well kempt. Yes, very smart. Right. 340 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,400 Here, "Vice President of the Chess Club." That doesn't surprise me 341 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,960 because, as a kid, my dad made my brother and I go to chess club. 342 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,120 And he still loves playing chess. Yeah. 343 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:51,760 "After much keen competition, Khoo Kheng Hin of Form 5 S-C...?" 344 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:56,440 Science. "..Science A emerged as champion in the senior section." 345 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,720 Very good. 346 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,680 My dad told me, when he was studying here, they could only speak English. 347 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,200 Oh, absolutely, English was very important. 348 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,080 It was the primary language. Now it's gone the other way round. 349 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,840 The whole system is based on Bahasa, Malay, 350 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,440 and English is taught only as a subject. 351 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:18,240 Wow. So all the lessons here are taught in Malay. 352 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,120 Malay, yes. Whereas when my dad or when you were studying, 353 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:22,960 it was all taught in English. 354 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:24,240 Totally in English, yeah. 355 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,360 In comparison to what it was like when you were studying 356 00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:31,680 or my dad was studying and now, what's the biggest difference? 357 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:36,440 I think the system is now more nationalistic, more nation, 358 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:40,400 in a way domestic-looking rather than outward. 359 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,400 And a lot of activities are based on ethnic interests 360 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,080 whereas in the old days, it was more on cosmopolitan. 361 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:52,400 Is there a bit more segregation between the groups... 362 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,240 the ethnic groups, would you...? By default. 363 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,480 Default, yeah. Yes. When students leave school, do you 364 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:02,040 think the different ethnic groups have the same opportunities? 365 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:06,920 Not really because there was a need, we all recognised, for some 366 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:12,560 degree of affirmative policy to help a certain community be elevated 367 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:17,480 in line with the rest, and it is not a bad thing for national harmony. 368 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,400 The New Economic Policy, 369 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,920 introduced after the 1969 race riots to close the wealth gap, 370 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:26,640 still exists today. 371 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,800 For indigenous Malays, it means more opportunities in business 372 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,160 and government jobs. 373 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:37,640 And in 2013, around 70% of all university places were awarded 374 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:39,120 to Malays. 375 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:42,560 The students here will determine how the idea of national harmony 376 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,240 plays out in the next generation. 377 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,960 Oh, everybody has ordered something really delicious. 378 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:48,080 What do you have there? 379 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,960 This is called bihun kari, it has wonton in it. 380 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:53,600 And you also have... 381 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,800 This is a curry chicken and these are vegetables, very Malay. 382 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,200 So, at school everybody mixes with everybody else? 383 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,840 You don't kind of group up in any way? 384 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,920 There are some group-up, but normally we used to get together - 385 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,520 like Malay, Chinese, Indian - 386 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:16,640 and everyone share the same equality to everyone. 387 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,080 It's like one Malaysia, it's like that. 388 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,640 I think it's still in us, but I think we kind of treat everyone 389 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,280 the same. We all can be friends with other races and we can 390 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,240 hang out normally like we all the same persons. It's 391 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,440 easy for us to be friends with everybody without any 392 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,160 discrimination among one another. 393 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,640 Do your parents ask you who you're hanging out...? 394 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,160 Would they prefer you to hang out with people 395 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,520 from same ethnic background? 396 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,080 My mother gives me freedom to hang out whoever I want, 397 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,680 as long as I don't do drugs and I don't drink. 398 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,080 That's very wise. 399 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,720 That's very wise. Do you think they would prefer you dating 400 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:57,920 and then eventually marrying someone 401 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,240 who was from the same background as you? 402 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,280 I think yes. 403 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:08,680 My parents are...a little bit conservative. 404 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,400 So I think that they might do that. 405 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,000 It was interesting when I was chatting to the kids. 406 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,880 They were very kind of open, they said everybody mixes together, 407 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,200 but out of the corner of my eye, I did catch, you know, 408 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,960 the Indians sitting together, the Chinese sitting together, 409 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,400 the Malays sitting together. One way they say they mingle, 410 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,760 but in reality, I don't think it's quite like that. 411 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,920 What's clear is that there's a willingness here to get on 412 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,320 with people from different cultures 413 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,520 and focus on making Malaysia a great place to live. 414 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,280 But I've heard about one group 415 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:58,920 that's been left out in the cold. 416 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,000 I'm off to meet a tribal people called the Orang Asli. 417 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,320 Their arrival on this peninsula predates the Malays 418 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:11,240 and I'm told they still cook in the same way as their ancestors. 419 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,880 I'm not a jungle kind of girl. I'm not a nature kind of girl. 420 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,920 I like my city comforts, I'm an urban girl. 421 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:23,360 So I'm like, "Well, jungle, mosquitoes... There's probably lots 422 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:25,200 "of creepy crawlies, snakes..." 423 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,880 Yeah, I'm looking at it as a bit of an adventure, 424 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,080 bit of a challenge for me. 425 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,840 Erm, little bit nervous, 426 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:40,080 but I think it'll be definitely something worth doing 427 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,320 to understand Malaysia better. 428 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,040 Nearly half of Peninsular Malaysia is covered in jungle. 429 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:50,240 And while some tribes are extremely remote, 430 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:55,240 I'm heading to a settlement that is just 100km from Ipoh. 431 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:59,920 Darkness falls quickly here as we're so close to the equator. 432 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:03,040 Definitely hard to find your way round in this village. 433 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,640 I'm supposed to be staying with a woman called Teeja, 434 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,000 but I've got no idea how to find her house. 435 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,320 No sign posts 436 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,720 and no street numbers, 437 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:15,400 basically nothing. 438 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,080 Oh, look, there's the local shop! 439 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,720 Hello? 440 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,000 Teeja's house? Teeja? 441 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:35,400 That way? OK. Thank you. 442 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,600 Definitely hear you're in the jungle. The noise is just amazing, 443 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,480 all the insects and birds 444 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:44,720 and I don't know what. 445 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,960 Hi. Teejay? 446 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:51,720 Teejay? 447 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,120 Teeja? Teeja? 448 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:56,640 OK, thank you, thank you. 449 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,440 'Of course, it would help if I could pronounce Teeja's name properly.' 450 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,520 Teeja? 451 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:05,800 Hello? 452 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,040 Teeja? 453 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,240 Hello. Hello. Hi. Hi! 454 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,600 I found your house! 455 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,560 Waiting for you, just come in. Oh. 456 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,280 Why so very late? Sorry, traffic, got lost. 457 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,600 Oh, my God. Anyway, so nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. 458 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:32,680 How are you? Good, how are you? 459 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,680 Thank you so much for having me. 460 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,120 It's OK. My pleasure. 461 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:41,520 Come, I show you your room, so... Oh, thank you. 462 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:45,440 'Teeja is one of the only English speakers in the village. 463 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:46,920 'She's also an activist 464 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,400 'and campaigns for the rights of the Orang Asli people. 465 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,200 'So she often plays host to foreign visitors.' 466 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,160 Oh, thank you so much! So, you will stay tonight here. 467 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:58,200 Perfect. 468 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:01,480 Never slept in the jungle before. 469 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,840 This is definitely going to be a new experience, although, I must say, 470 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:08,080 it is quite modern the fact that I have a mattress, 471 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,360 there is electricity, I've got a fan. 472 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:13,360 So, it's not quite camping. 473 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:17,960 I'm quite happy about that cos I'm not very good at camping, 474 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,080 actually I don't do camping. 475 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:21,280 No? Yes! 476 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,880 Bathroom. 477 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,680 Very typical, kind of Malay bathroom. 478 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,760 I remember using this system when I was a kid at my granny's. 479 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,400 You just simply scoop up the water and chuck it over you, 480 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:36,680 very refreshing. 481 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:48,280 Really looking forward to tomorrow and trying to get more 482 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,000 knowledge and more understanding of what it's like to live here. 483 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,800 Just hope I get a good night's sleep, 484 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,120 otherwise I'll be pretty grumpy tomorrow. 485 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,600 Orang Asli translates as original people, 486 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,320 and according to Teeja, for the roughly 100,000 population, 487 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,680 their traditional way of life is under threat. 488 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,400 The government encourages tribal groups 489 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:28,760 across the country to convert to Islam and adopt Malay customs. 490 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,920 This would mean giving up their ancestral beliefs. 491 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:37,320 Islamic converts receive positive discrimination that could 492 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:41,320 include better housing and schooling before non-converts. 493 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,760 But here, as everywhere, some things never change. 494 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,880 There seems to be a queue for the bathroom. 495 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:53,120 Just like back home. 496 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:54,640 I guess I just wait my turn. 497 00:28:57,960 --> 00:28:59,640 How was your sleep last night? 498 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,840 When you are not used to the jungle noises 499 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:07,200 and just used to the city noises, it takes some getting used to. 500 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,040 - You have a very noisy cockerel. - Yeah. 501 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,760 You don't need an alarm clock. 502 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:13,760 Ah yes, early morning, right? 503 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:18,120 Early morning, wakes you up. At 3am, they start. 504 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,880 A lot of the villagers work on nearby rubber plantations. 505 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,680 But on days off, the community heads en masse to a special spot 506 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:35,920 deep in the jungle where they hunt, 507 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,960 fish and forage, just like their ancestors. 508 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,840 The tribe is preparing a traditional feast, 509 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:02,040 and it's not just for my benefit. 510 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,080 This is the equivalent of Sunday lunch, 511 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:08,560 but instead of feeding a family, you feed an entire village. 512 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:10,880 Wow! This is a stunning place. 513 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:12,680 Yeah, very nice place. 514 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,280 Seems like the kids are enjoying it too. Yeah. 515 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:22,440 There are lots of different dishes being prepared, 516 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,200 from freshly caught fish 517 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:27,080 to jungle beans and tapioca root, 518 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,280 but there's one classic tribal recipe Teeja wants to show me. 519 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:44,440 This is lemon grass, no? 520 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:48,760 And what's this one? 521 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:51,360 Smells like onion. 522 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,800 These all herbs you find in the jungle. 523 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,200 Is it easy to identify? 524 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:24,760 Passing down knowledge from one generation to the next 525 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,480 is important to the Orang Asli, 526 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,240 and nearly everything at this feast has been foraged 527 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,720 from the jungle or fished from the river. 528 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,040 Ah, what a good saying. 529 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:55,280 The bamboo tubes go straight on the fire for about 30 minutes. 530 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,320 The natural water content of the bamboo steams the meat and 531 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,200 stops it burning. 532 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:08,520 This simple way of cooking dates back thousands of years. 533 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,000 Today, chicken and fish are on the menu, 534 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,920 but it's often squirrel or wild boar, all hunted from the forest. 535 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,640 So typical, no matter where you are in the world - 536 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,640 the men are manning the barbecue and the women are doing the veg. 537 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:28,000 'And I'm put to work making a sambal, that spicy 538 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,680 'relish I had with my cousins in KL. 539 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:32,480 'But this one's very different.' 540 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,200 This is hard work! 541 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,960 No electric blenders in the jungle. 542 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:41,400 Have to do everything by hand. 543 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:44,600 'As with all sambal, 544 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:46,880 'the key ingredient is chilli. 545 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:48,640 'And we're making two versions. 546 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:50,560 'The first one with ginger flower.' 547 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:53,520 Can I help you? 548 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:54,680 Oh, OK, I'm that good? 549 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:58,040 You take over now. All right. 550 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,800 Obviously says a lot. 551 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:01,840 I'm too slow. 552 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:06,320 'And the second is with pureed durian, known as the king of fruits.' 553 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,880 Enough? More? 554 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:10,240 More. More. 555 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:12,520 'Durian has a fearsome reputation 556 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:14,280 'because of its strong smell, 557 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,640 'which is said to be like rotting meat or even sewage.' 558 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:25,400 I would compare durian to a very pungent cheese, 559 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:27,320 like one of those French cheeses, 560 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:30,160 which you have to put in several containers 561 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:35,080 because it will make your fridge smell a little bit stronger. 562 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,560 I look forward to eating this. Yes. Looks tasty. Yeah. 563 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,120 All right, well, I'll go do the washing up. I'm good at that. 564 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:10,680 The feast is served on a handmade table with banana leaf plates and 565 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:16,160 bamboo cups all gathered from the jungle and, of course, biodegradable. 566 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:19,280 We're having fish and fowl cooked two ways - 567 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,600 barbecued and steamed in bamboo - 568 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:26,120 served with a load of jungle greens, broad beans and fern tips 569 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,560 with ginger flower and durian sambal on the side. 570 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:36,120 This really is Malaysian food in its oldest and purest form. 571 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:40,480 And luckily for the kids, tradition dictates that they're served first. 572 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:45,400 Bit of fish. OK. 573 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,760 A little bit of veggies. Thank you. 574 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:53,920 How do you balance the modern way of life and... 575 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,040 keeping your traditions? 576 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,440 Teeja is a fantastic person. 577 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:49,760 You can see why she is so passionate about her heritage and her culture. 578 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:53,160 You know, experiencing all this and 579 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,600 why she wants to campaign for people 580 00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:00,160 to respect it, to keep the traditions, 581 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,840 but also for the Orang Asli to have the same opportunities 582 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:05,560 as everyone else in Malaysia. 583 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:13,040 I think my favourite... 584 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,080 Well, it's all very delicious, 585 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:18,400 but the durian sambal, the chilli 586 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:20,440 with the durian is very good. 587 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:23,440 I love that. It just adds a little bit of a sweetener 588 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:24,920 and makes it very creamy 589 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,680 and you can dip everything in there, it's a bit like having a ketchup. 590 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:34,480 The bamboo chicken, I don't know whether it tastes of bamboo or not 591 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:39,720 because all I taste right now is like the spicy chilli from the sambal. 592 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,280 Well, cheers. Cheers. Thank you so much for having me. 593 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,320 Oh, it's fantastic. 594 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,360 This kind of experience in priceless. You can't buy this. 595 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,160 Coming to the jungle to this secluded spot, you know, 596 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,600 with this crystal-clear water 597 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,840 and taking food from the jungle. Then everything 598 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:10,400 goes back to the forest, it's biodegradable. 599 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:12,520 You couldn't get more sustainable than this. 600 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:16,720 'Before I leave, the village headman is determined to see 601 00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:18,840 'if I can shoot his blow pipe.' 602 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:21,560 What am I shooting at? Straight? 603 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,000 'I think I'll stick to the day job.' 604 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:33,000 Well, practice makes perfect, huh? 605 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:35,600 OK, wait. 606 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:38,000 OK, done. 607 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,480 So far I've been to the city, I've been to the jungle 608 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:54,360 and now I'm heading to the coast. 609 00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:59,200 Pretty much standard weather over here. 610 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,600 There's a rain o'clock - a certain time of day 611 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:04,200 when it just starts raining. 612 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:15,360 Just pulled off the highway, it's this massive food court. 613 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,640 There's loads to choose from. 614 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:19,920 This smells amazing. 615 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,960 The aromas. And, look, all the different curries here. 616 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:27,480 It's not like your average, like, motorway stop you have in the UK. 617 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,880 You know, there's so many different stands, different foods 618 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:32,480 and it's good quality food. 619 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:34,760 Seems to be lots of people enjoying it as well. 620 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:39,920 They've got deep-fried lobster! 45 ringgit? 621 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:41,040 One, 45 ringgit. 622 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:45,120 It's nine pounds for a deep-fried lobster! That's absolutely insane. 623 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:46,960 Thank you. OK, you're welcome. 624 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:49,880 Ah. Ha! Something funny here. 625 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,160 Look at this, Kickapoo Joy Juice, 626 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,440 citrus flavoured carbonated drink. 627 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:58,880 "Get that kick." OK, I'm going to get that kick. 628 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,600 Quite funny they have all these soured fruits. 629 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,600 Dried... And people eat it like that? 630 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,560 OK, so this is like a little wake-up call when you're driving. 631 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,480 Yes, exactly. You pop one in, you're like, "Whoo!" 632 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,160 I will get these three things. 633 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:23,120 My next destination is Georgetown on Penang Island, 634 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:25,640 off Malaysia's west coast. 635 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,920 I'm driving more than 200 miles north, 636 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:29,560 where I'll pick up the ferry. 637 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:41,520 Whoop, whoop. On the ferry. Just about made it! 638 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,240 Penang is where my grandparents are from, 639 00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:50,320 so as well as trying some tasty seafood, 640 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,000 I'm hoping to find out more about my family. 641 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:57,240 This skyline looks really modern, 642 00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:59,320 but Georgetown is actually quite an old city. 643 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,360 After the simple pleasures of the jungle, 644 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:24,040 it's a real treat to be staying 645 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,880 at the historic Eastern and Oriental Hotel. 646 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,400 Hello. Rachel Khoo? K-H-O-O. 647 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:33,880 It was built in 1885 at the height of the British Colonial period, 648 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:36,680 when Georgetown was an important trading port. 649 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,400 You have to come and look at this view. 650 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,680 It's just absolutely stunning. 651 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:05,960 I mean waking up to this... Look at that. 652 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,200 And the sound of the sea, the lapping waves. 653 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:15,280 Oh, what a contrast to the jungle. 654 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,400 You couldn't get more extreme. 655 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,600 Georgetown was founded by the British in 1786. 656 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:28,040 It fast became a thriving commercial centre and immigrants 657 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:31,320 flocked here from all over Asia, lured by the promise that they 658 00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:33,840 could claim as much land as they could clear. 659 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,960 I'm here to find out more about my family's history. 660 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,560 I know my grandfather was born here and that my ancestors arrived 661 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,640 with millions of other Chinese immigrants. 662 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:04,640 Apparently, the Khoos were a powerful clan who built 663 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:06,840 a temple that still stands today. 664 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:23,440 I'm meeting Salma, a local historian and also a Khoo. 665 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:26,320 She's offered to shed some light on our clan's history. 666 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:35,040 Can you tell me a little bit more about the history of this temple? 667 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:38,440 So, well, the clan grew quite wealthy 668 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:42,400 and then they brought the artisans from China, from Zhangzhou, 669 00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:44,080 that's where the Khoos are from. 670 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:48,400 This is considered one of the most splendid temples, 671 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:52,040 Chinese temples, of its time even. I mean, outside of China. 672 00:42:52,040 --> 00:42:54,760 The Khoo clan must have been very wealthy. 673 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:57,240 Yeah, they were actually leaders of the secret society, 674 00:42:57,240 --> 00:43:00,160 which is based just around the corner. 675 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:03,880 It's not so secret if you know it's based round the corner. 676 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:07,480 It was actually an alliance with several other clans. 677 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:09,600 They started plantations, 678 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:11,640 they invested in tin-mining. 679 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:15,760 At that time, one of the biggest businesses was opium. 680 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:18,800 At that time, it was perfectly legal. OK. OK. 681 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,840 And in fact, half the revenue of the British street settlements 682 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:27,560 until, I think, around 1910 came from opium. 683 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:31,200 So, my ancestors could have been drug dealers. 684 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,080 That's a possibility. I mean, I'm not saying that all the Khoos 685 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:37,520 were involved in the opium trade, just a few of them. 686 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:41,280 You mentioned secret society, opium, trade, 687 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:45,280 it sounds a little bit like the Khoo clan were the mafia in this area. 688 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:47,120 You know, mafia is a very subjective term, 689 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:51,760 but in a frontier society, you need that sort of social organisation. 690 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:54,680 You know, it was a kind of a self government almost 691 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:58,280 when the government wasn't providing enough protection. 692 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,120 The last thing I expected to find out on this journey was 693 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,760 that my ancestors might have been involved with opium. 694 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,360 I think us Khoos have come a long way since then. 695 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:20,760 So far on this trip, I've eaten Chinese food, jungle food 696 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:22,840 and the best school dinners of my life, 697 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:26,880 but I don't feel I've cracked indigenous Malay cooking. 698 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:30,760 The Malays migrated here from Indonesia over 1,000 years ago 699 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:34,880 and started to convert to Islam as early as the 12th century. 700 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,200 They're renowned for their spicy curries, 701 00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:40,200 which contain a unique ingredient - 702 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:42,240 a shrimp paste called belachan. 703 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,520 I'm heading to a Malay village to meet Rahim, 704 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:56,600 a fisherman who still makes belachan by hand in the traditional way. 705 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:09,760 Belachan can be quite powerful, pungent, 706 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,720 to put it in a polite way. So it's a very distinct smell. 707 00:45:13,720 --> 00:45:18,760 It's made of shrimp paste. So I'm ready for this kind of 708 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:21,480 over-powering smell when I hit the village. 709 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:26,440 The village is on Pulau Aman, which translates as Island of Peace, 710 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:28,360 and I can see why. 711 00:45:28,360 --> 00:45:32,200 There's not a road or car in sight and I don't need directions, 712 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,080 I just need to follow my nose. 713 00:45:38,640 --> 00:45:41,400 So, I can already smell the aroma from the belachan. 714 00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:42,720 Oh... 715 00:45:42,720 --> 00:45:45,520 Is this fresh? Yes, fresh. 716 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:48,360 So, did you catch these today? Yeah. 717 00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:50,800 And then how long do you leave this? 718 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:52,400 This one, one day. 719 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:55,440 Belachan is made from tiny shrimp, which are salted 720 00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:57,920 and left in the sun for a day or two, 721 00:45:57,920 --> 00:46:01,520 mashed up, then left again until the mixture has fermented. 722 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:06,960 It's just such a simple way of making this key ingredient 723 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:08,480 for Malaysian food. 724 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:11,560 If only I had more sunshine in the UK and such fantastic shrimp, 725 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:14,480 although I don't think I'd be so popular with my neighbours 726 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:16,320 if I made this at home. 727 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:20,320 Rahim and his wife produce around 50 kilos of belachan a week. 728 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:23,280 So, you're pushing some of the mixture in, 729 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:25,000 and you use the stick. 730 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:26,480 Little bit, little bit! 731 00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:30,280 It first developed as a way for fisherman to preserve their catch. 732 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:33,440 Now it's so popular they say that if you don't love it, 733 00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:36,160 you're not truly Malaysian. 734 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:40,720 Perfect piece very smooth. Yeah, very smooth. You see very smooth. OK? 735 00:46:40,720 --> 00:46:42,920 Perfect. Perfect, yes? Yeah, great! 736 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:44,680 Can we cook with this? Yes. 737 00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:47,120 All right. Let's go cook with it, then. OK. 738 00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:50,280 'Rahim's wife, Jamaliah, and her friend, Rohana, are preparing 739 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,640 'a Malaysian classic - sambal. 740 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:56,560 'They're using it to cook freshly caught mantis prawns. 741 00:46:56,560 --> 00:47:01,280 'And a few tablespoons of belachan will give it a rich, salty flavour.' 742 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:04,120 These prawns are a local delicacy from this island 743 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:07,000 and people come to this island just to eat these. 744 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:10,200 Looks like an alien, though. 745 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:12,960 Never seen anything like this before. 746 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:14,120 Huge! 747 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:17,960 'They could be pulling my leg, but I'm told these mantis prawns 748 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:20,840 'strike their prey faster than a speeding bullet.' 749 00:47:20,840 --> 00:47:23,280 Is this dish particularly popular in Malaysia? 750 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:29,800 Yes. Nation, is sambal belachan, popular in Asia. 751 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:44,440 So, what's in this? 752 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:48,080 Onion and chilli, belachan. 753 00:47:48,080 --> 00:47:51,240 Looks very spicy. Little, little spicy. 754 00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:53,120 Little bit spicy. Ah, yeah. 755 00:47:53,120 --> 00:47:56,240 It smells good. Fantastic colour. 756 00:47:56,240 --> 00:47:59,640 'We fry up some onions, garlic and ginger in a generous 757 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:03,720 'amount of palm oil. Then in goes the sambal belachan.' 758 00:48:03,720 --> 00:48:06,280 Big spoon? Oh, OK, a lot of sambal. 759 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:09,640 Shall I stir? 760 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:15,280 Looks like it's going to be more sambal than prawns! 761 00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:22,160 Malaysian curries are an explosive mix of flavours, 762 00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:26,200 combining Indian spices with sour fruits, fresh herbs 763 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:29,880 and lots of chilli. We're adding tamarind, lemon grass 764 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:32,640 and sugar for some extra zing. 765 00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:35,120 This looks mouth-watering. 766 00:48:35,120 --> 00:48:38,200 Wow, I don't know if they're going to all fit in the pan. 767 00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:43,760 And the last one in. 768 00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:45,920 Squeeze that one in. 769 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:49,680 They're huge prawns. 770 00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:53,720 'A few veggies to garnish and this classic dish is ready. 771 00:48:55,800 --> 00:48:58,760 'Just as rain o'clock strikes again.' 772 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,320 This is certainly a lot spicier than the Chinese 773 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,080 Malaysian food I'm used to. 774 00:49:12,080 --> 00:49:13,880 I hope I can handle the heat! 775 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,080 I know that the Malaysians love their chilli, 776 00:49:20,080 --> 00:49:23,720 but this is at another level. My lips are literally on fire. 777 00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:26,880 Very spicy but delicious. 778 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:30,040 Fantastic. And this prawn, 779 00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:32,120 it's really meaty, a bit like a lobster - 780 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:36,240 very juicy, quite sweet. No wonder people come to this island 781 00:49:36,240 --> 00:49:37,800 just to eat these. 782 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:39,560 Delicious. 783 00:49:39,560 --> 00:49:43,640 Belachan seems to be the key component to Malaysian cooking. 784 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:47,880 It's put into almost everything and you can see why cos it adds this 785 00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:50,600 savoury, aromatic flavour to dishes, 786 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:54,160 which for me, it's like - the Thai's have fish sauce, 787 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:56,280 the Malays have belachan. 788 00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:59,800 It's delicious, thank you so much, really tasty. 789 00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:15,760 I remember these monkeys from one of my visits in Malaysia, 790 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:19,800 and they can get a little bit cheeky 791 00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:25,080 and steal things, get too friendly, so it's best not to feed them. 792 00:50:25,080 --> 00:50:27,080 I'll just get a snap. 793 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:37,400 My Malaysia trip is coming to an end, but it's Saturday night 794 00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:40,920 and here, as at home, that means a girls' night out. 795 00:50:41,920 --> 00:50:46,440 So, the girls I'm going out with tonight are Malay Muslim. 796 00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:50,280 From a woman's point of view, as a young woman, to see... 797 00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:52,880 I've always felt that when I come to Malaysia, 798 00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:55,440 that sometimes it's a little bit restrictive. 799 00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:58,440 You know, in the Western world, you can do whatever you want. 800 00:50:58,440 --> 00:51:00,760 So for me, it'd be interesting 801 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,320 to see whether, as women in a Muslim country, they feel 802 00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:08,720 that they're restricted, that they have less options as men, 803 00:51:08,720 --> 00:51:11,600 or whether there's no difference. 804 00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:13,880 I'm sure we're going to be eating a lot of food. 805 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:15,880 That's one thing I've learnt in Malaysia - 806 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:19,680 if you go out for dinner or you're invited around to somebody's house, 807 00:51:19,680 --> 00:51:22,080 there is always a lot of food. 808 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:25,760 Wear your elasticated pants, that's the one tip I give you. 809 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:28,440 Come to Malaysia, wear your elasticated pants. 810 00:51:32,040 --> 00:51:35,920 Georgetown is the undisputed street food capital of Malaysia 811 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:37,280 and there are Malay, 812 00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:41,520 Chinese and Indian food stalls as far as the eye can see. 813 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:43,080 The streets are buzzing. 814 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:56,000 I'm meeting Siti and her friends who are going to help me 815 00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:58,400 navigate this culinary melting pot. 816 00:51:59,600 --> 00:52:01,920 There seems to be food for everyone here. 817 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:08,720 Would you as a Malay Muslim be able to eat this food? 818 00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:34,160 The girls are taking me to one of their favourite spots 819 00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:36,800 well off the tourist trail. 820 00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:39,480 This is Indian food called nasi kandar. 821 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:41,800 OK, we are here! 822 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:45,240 The dishes are all halal, which means everyone can eat here, 823 00:52:45,240 --> 00:52:47,360 so the place is always rammed. 824 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:50,040 It gets so busy, they blow a whistle to let 825 00:52:50,040 --> 00:52:52,960 everyone know when the queue has cleared. 826 00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:55,120 Line cleared! 827 00:52:55,120 --> 00:52:58,480 It's known for its array of curries, frothy poured tea 828 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:01,600 and roti canai, a fluffy flatbread. 829 00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:06,280 And before we eat, the girls want a demonstration of my cooking skills. 830 00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:09,080 This could be an absolute disaster. 831 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:11,160 Eh? 832 00:53:12,920 --> 00:53:15,800 Good, Rachael. Go! Yeah? Am I doing all right? 833 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,200 No, no! 834 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:21,760 This is definitely harder than it looks. 835 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:23,880 He makes it look so simple. 836 00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:29,960 Oh, my goodness! 837 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:33,520 You know what, if I had to make roti canai, 838 00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:35,480 people would be waiting till midnight. 839 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:37,720 I think I should stick to French pastries. 840 00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:41,200 Unlike the Indian food we have back home, 841 00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:43,840 the sauces here are more like a thin gravy. 842 00:53:43,840 --> 00:53:46,160 Perfect for dunking bread. 843 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:48,800 And we've ordered everything from mutton to squid 844 00:53:48,800 --> 00:53:51,040 to the house special - fish head curry. 845 00:53:51,040 --> 00:53:52,840 Ooh! 846 00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:55,080 It's not a small fish head, huh? 847 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:57,920 This is a big fish head. 848 00:53:57,920 --> 00:53:59,240 Yes. 849 00:53:59,240 --> 00:54:02,840 The fish is red snapper, it's got a huge amount of meat on it 850 00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:05,560 and the cheeks are meant to be the best part. 851 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:10,520 Flakes, so delicious and it doesn't look dry at all. 852 00:54:15,480 --> 00:54:17,720 Do you? Yes. That's how we eat it. 853 00:54:17,720 --> 00:54:21,520 Oh, so you mix it all together, you don't eat it separately. 854 00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:26,440 Because this dish, the squid is a lot spicier than this the mutton one. 855 00:54:26,440 --> 00:54:30,240 - Yes. So you can adjust the spiciness... - Yeah. 856 00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:32,160 ..to your liking. GIRLS: Yes. 857 00:54:36,680 --> 00:54:38,720 As this food is halal, it can be eaten 858 00:54:38,720 --> 00:54:40,840 by all the different ethnic groups. 859 00:54:42,200 --> 00:54:45,120 Aisyah is Chinese Malaysian, but converted to Islam 860 00:54:45,120 --> 00:54:46,560 when she married a Malay. 861 00:54:48,600 --> 00:54:50,720 How was it for you when you converted? 862 00:55:03,720 --> 00:55:05,280 So, you didn't go in the deep end? 863 00:55:08,840 --> 00:55:10,000 One step at a time. Yeah. 864 00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,880 So, for instance like in Chinese culture, you can eat pork. 865 00:55:19,560 --> 00:55:23,040 So, what was it like when you put the hijab on for the first time? 866 00:55:32,080 --> 00:55:36,080 I noticed that there are different ways of putting it on. 867 00:55:36,080 --> 00:55:39,560 People... Some people have, like, big part at the back. 868 00:55:39,560 --> 00:55:42,520 I don't know how they do that. You've got diamantes. 869 00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:09,800 Shouldn't the man have to wear the same? 870 00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:12,440 Because he should be special too for his wife. 871 00:56:21,720 --> 00:56:25,600 Do you feel like in Malaysia, as a woman, you have the freedom to 872 00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:27,000 do anything you want to? 873 00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:58,480 Tonight, it feels like everything I've learnt on this trip 874 00:56:58,480 --> 00:56:59,800 has come together. 875 00:57:03,200 --> 00:57:05,680 When I arrived, I felt like a fish out of water, 876 00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:09,320 but I've met so many wonderful people that I've fallen in love 877 00:57:09,320 --> 00:57:11,040 with Malaysia all over again 878 00:57:11,040 --> 00:57:12,960 and I feel a lot more at home here. 879 00:57:16,680 --> 00:57:21,280 For me to come back and to reconnect with my family, 880 00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:23,440 to experience such delicious food, 881 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:28,560 it's just a brilliant place to come and experience such diverse culture 882 00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:30,320 in such a small space. 883 00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:35,320 There's a real sense of national confidence here. 884 00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:38,160 The different cultures don't just tolerate one another, 885 00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:39,560 they seem to get along. 886 00:57:41,400 --> 00:57:45,080 People are open. They welcome you into their home. 887 00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:48,480 They will share their food with you, what they know. 888 00:57:48,480 --> 00:57:51,680 It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from. 889 00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:54,440 And you know what, the food is incredible! 890 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:57,920 By drawing on one another's cooking styles and ingredients, 891 00:57:57,920 --> 00:58:01,560 Malaysians have created a cuisine like no other, 892 00:58:01,560 --> 00:58:03,120 making this country 893 00:58:03,120 --> 00:58:06,800 one of the world's most exciting food destinations, 894 00:58:06,800 --> 00:58:08,760 and I can't wait to come back.