Belacan
Melaka is famous for belacan products.
Tourists who visit the state will tend to buy belacan for themselves and as
gifts. Belacan is simply dried shrimp paste. Only shrimp locally known as
geragau is used. The fresh geragau caught with special nets usually during low
tide by the Portuguese fishermen will be mixed with salt and shaped into round
patties and left to dry under the hot sun. Once ready, it will be individually
packed in plastic and sold at wet markets and sundry shops. When you come to
Melaka, you might see many belacan and cottage industries' products stalls or
kiosks along the road of Pantai Klebang, Merlimau, Alor Gajah, Telok Mas and
many more. Belacan have different types and taste. There are several types of
belacan in Melaka, belacan kepal, belacan bakar, belacan basah, and belacan
kering. 
Asam pedas
Asam Pedas is a Malaysian fish stew
where fish is cooked in tamarind (asam) fruit juice and chili paste. The
cooking process involves soaking the pulp of the fruit until it is soft and
then squeezing out the juice for cooking the fish. Asam paste may be
substituted for convenience. Various vegetables such as brinjals (Indian
eggplants), okra and tomatoes are added. Fish (such as mackerel or red snapper)
or fish heads are also added to make a spicy and tart fish stew. It is
important that the fish remain intact for serving so generally the fish is
added last. In Bengal, India this dish is called macher tak (sour fish). There
are various ways of cooking asam pedas based on districts and ethnic community
in Melaka. The Malays like to add vegetables and shrimp paste. Baba Nyonya and
Chitty always put 'buah kluak' in their asam pedas while Portuguese community
like to add more chillies.
Cencaluk
Cencalok (or Chinchalok/Cencaluk) is a
Melakan food made of fermented small shrimps or krill. It is usually served as
a condiment together with chillis, shallots and lime juice. It is similar to
Bagoong Alamang (see shrimp paste) in the Philippines. In Melaka, the shrimp is
called udang geragau. The shrimp in the
pinkish coloured cencalok are readily identifiable and the taste is salty. This
shrimp is available in particular season in Pantai Klebang, Limbongan, Tanjung
Kling and several coastal areas. The process of making cencalok requires several
steps to create a product of high quality with a pleasing texture when
consumed. Fresh small prawns (udang geragau) are added with salt and rice in
equal proportions. After the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, it will be
sealed in a jar and allowed to ferment for three days. There are also cencalok
makers who increase the proportion of rice in the mixture believing it to
enhance the taste of the finished product.
Gula Malacca
Gula
melaka, otherwise known in English as Palm Sugar or 'Malacca Sugar'. Gula
melaka is made by first extracting the sap from the flower bud of a coconut
tree. Several slits are cut into the bud and a pot is tied underneath the bud
to collect the sap. Then, the sap is boiled until it thickens after which, in
the traditional way, it is poured into bamboo tubes between 3-5 inches in
length, and left to solidify to form cylindrical cake blocks. Alternatively it
can be poured into glass jars or plastic bags.
Gula
melaka is used in some savoury dishes but mainly in the local desserts and
cakes of the Southeast Asian region. A bowl of Gula Melaka Sago. Gula Melaka
Sago pudding, is one of many desserts made with Gula Melaka. It is among some
of the more popular gastronomic delights of Peranakan (Chinese-Malay) origin.
Basically,
this dish consists of a bland sago pudding served with Gula Melaka syrup. In
some ways it resembles the international Creme Caramel and differ only in the
ingredients used. It can be served either chaud or froid. To enrich the
pudding, coconut milk or 'santan' its Malay name, is added to it.
Santan
is the South-East Asian non-dairy counterpart of the dairy cream, the latter
either whipped or in liquid form, is used mainly in Western cuisines but both
add richness or provide viscosity when these are required.
Although Cendol can be found in most
parts of Malaysia, tourists and Malaysian still find Melaka Cendol is better.
Ondeh-ondeh or Buah Melaka is a ball shaped popular dessert made from glutinous
rice flour and filled with Gula Melaka, covered in shredded coconut.
Dodol Melaka
Dodol is a type of sweet candy that is
locally produced in Malacca. The base of the candy is rice flour and palm sugar
that is formed into cylinder, squares or diamonds wrapped in plastic. The
popular Melaka dodol can be flavoured in many ways, but the most popular in
Malacca is durian.
Tapai
Tapai is the famous form of fermented
food in Malaysia. Tapai usually eaten on occasion like wedding and family
feast. Here tapai will be found in two types that are from glutinous rice and
cassava. Traditionally it will be wrapped with banana leaves when served.
Fermented food are served all over the world with different type of foods like
soybean, milk,olive, bread, cheese and fruits. The tapai is very sweet with
little sour tastes. Tapai also taste good when eaten cold or mixed with ice
cream and ice blended juice.
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