KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 ― The iPhone, camera, pen and notebook are never far from any meal Samantha McLeod sits down to.
“I document virtually everything I eat so I can share it with my readers and social media followers. It’s my passion,” said McLeod, a Vancouver-based travel and food writer, who was in Penang and other Malaysian cities last month.
“Malaysian food is marinated in history as every dish is a story of the nation, its people and culture,” McLeod told Malay Mail as I caught up with her in George Town.
With a voracious appetite for searching out and documenting new places, spaces and food, McLeod’s work has taken her across North America, South America, Caribbean, Asia and Africa.
The avid photographer whose work has been published by Postmedia, Canada’s largest media group, also maintains a popular blog and website on sustainable, organic and gluten free foods in Canada.
Among the many organisations she cares about is the Iwokrama forest and research centre. This is a unique venture in Guyana, her birthplace, which is proving the concept of a truly sustainable forest — where conservation, environmental balance and economic use are mutually reinforcing.
Currently she is writing a travel novel while organising culinary tours for North Americans to South India.
“I plan to do the same for Malaysia,” said McLeod, who sometimes goes by the moniker “Gluten-free Sam.”
Over two weeks, McLeod visited numerous food outlets, night markets and restaurants as she collected data and images to illustrate the epicurean delights of Malaysia.
“It was so satisfying to see Malaysians opting for local, sustainable and organic foods and many of the people I interviewed are very knowledgeable about what they eat and where it comes from,” said McLeod.
In Kuala Lumpur, McLeod’s food trek took her to Brickfields for a South Indian banana leaf lunch prepared by Moorthy Mathai, whose fried fish is legendary; Petaling Jaya for a bowl of ox-tail soup at the ever-popular Rennies Pub and the bustling pasar malam in Bangsar, which “took my breath away."
“The versatility and creativity of some of these cooks is simply astounding,” said McLeod referring to the Chinese food in coffee shops and Indian-Muslim eateries that specialise in nasi kandar.
While in Malacca, McLeod sampled dishes like ikan bakar (grilled fish), crab and sambal ladies finger, inspired by the culinary heritage of the people descended from early Portuguese settlers.
“I spent some time at the Portuguese Settlement learning about the hybrid cooking styles in this historical place,” said McLeod.
“I also bought a lot of local spices, sauces and belacan to take home to Canada.”
While Malacca and Kuala Lumpur gave McLeod a glimpse of Malaysia’s gastronomical history and geography, it was Penang that satiated this gourmet’s soul.
“Penangites know their food and speak about it with a passion that is delightfully spiced with historical anecdotes,” said McLeod.
Seeking the unsung heroes of Penang’s food scene, McLeod’s stops included the Nyonya Breeze Restaurant in Straits Quay, which serves homemade food that tells the story of the Peranakan culture.
Here, McLeod met with Rosie Yew who takes pride in her spotless kitchen, mini-Peranakan museum and recipes handed down from her mother that have remained faithful to the rich hybrid of ethnic influences of the Malay Archipelago.
“Yew’s menu tells the stories of the Babas and Nyonyas, the infusion of colonial tastes into local food and the beautiful blend of Chinese and Malay culinary traditions,” said McLeod.
A local Penangite who met McLeod while she was sampling some locally-made Western fare at the Healy Mac’s pub in Penang guided her to Pak Din’s stall at the tsunami village along Tanjung Bungah.
“He warned me ominously to get there by 11.30am before the best from the kitchen is devoured by locals.”
“The décor here is not for the fainthearted but the food at this place is for the undaunted,” described McLeod, after a lunch of rice and fish-head curry that was accompanied by a steaming smorgasbord of traditional Malay dishes.
McLeod also ventured into the tourist enclaves of Gurney Drive, Little India and beach front in Batu Ferringhi to capture the tastes of local favourites like bak kut teh, char koay teow and giant grilled pepper prawns. She also indulged in a second dose of a South Indian banana leaf lunch.
“The plane brought me to Malaysia but the food taught me about the harmony of Malaysians,” said McLeod, who vowed to be back soon.
To read more about Samantha McLeod’s culinary adventures in Malaysia, go to www.eathical.ca/www.theprovince.com/ or @GlutenFreeSam on Instagram and Twitter.
