Dagang Rice

Nasi dagang (Jawi: ﻧﺎﺳﻲ ﺩﺍ ) is a Malaysian and Southern Thai dish consisting of rice steamed in coconut milk, fish curry and extra ingredients such as fried shaved coconut, hard-boiled eggs and vegetable pickles. Nasi Dagang literally means "Trading Rice". It is a well-known breakfast food in the states on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, such as Terengganu and Kelantan and Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in Southern Thailand. The most famous Nasi dagang of Terengganu comes from Kampung Ladang, an area within the Kuala Terengganu district. [1] Nasi Dagang can also be considered as a festive dish in Kelantan and Terengganu because it is prepared at home for the morning of Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, to be eaten as a breakfast before or after the Eid prayers in the mosque

Parit Jawa

Parit Jawa is a main town in Muar district, Johor, Malaysia. Directly translated -"Javanese Drain",PJ is located about 15km from Muar town and 39km from Batu Pahat town. It is famous for its seafood because they are fresh and also Kuah Asam Pedas the famous Malay cuisine. The Kopitiam serves great Kopi 'O' Ping with toasted soft white bread spread with homemade Kaya.

Jerai Mountain

Mount Jerai (Malay: Gunung Jerai;) or formerly Kedah Peak is the highest mountain in the Malaysian state of Kedah with the height of 986 metres (3,235 ft). Within Kedah itself, the mountain stands at the border of Kuala Muda and Yan districts. The mountain is a massive limestone outcrop and is a lone feature from the surrounding geography of the area. There is an information board on top of the mountain stating that it used to be an island called Pulai Serai before the sea levels receded letting it form a mountain, but this fact has no research or historical basis.
The height of Mount Jerai relative to its surroundings allowed Indian traders and seafarers to use the mountain as a navigational point more than 1500 years ago. The mountain was considered sacred by the ancient Malays so they built temples from the foothills up to the summit. Hindu-Buddhist priests would pray at these stupas for the safety of Bujang Valley, the richest archaeological site in Malaysia located on the southern reaches of the mountain.

Kandar Rice

"Nasi" is Malay for rice, as white rice serves as the only constant for every nasi kandar meal. "Kandar" refers to a wooden or bamboo yoke that Indian street vendors used in the old days; they would balance a container of food on each end of the yoke, then sell their food on the streets carrying their merchandise. While the kandar has gone the way of the British colonial government, the foods remain, now served from stationary stalls or restaurants.
Alongside their rice, diners pick and choose from an assortment of side dishes: beef spleen, beef cubes, fried sotong (squid), fried chicken, okra, omelets, bitter gourd, and eggplant. The dishes may either be piled on the rice or served in small bowls separately.

Kristang Community

The Kristang are a Malaysian ethnic group with mixed Portuguese and Malay and for some possibly Indian or Chinese ancestry, which arose during the Portuguese colonial period (16th to 17th century).
In 1933, 11 hectares of land at Malacca were purchased with the purpose of creating a haven for scattered Kristang and their culture. The swampy land was cleared and 10 wooden houses with earth floors and attap roofs were built. Saint John's village, as that simple fishing village was originally known, soon attracted additional Kristang from all over Malaysia, and grew to become one of Malacca's main tourist attractions, improving the standard of living of its villagers.
Like many other Portuguese-speaking communities around the world, the Portuguese Settlement holds a yearly "June festival" that opens with Festa Senjuang ("Feast of Saint John", June 24) and closes with Festa San Pedro ("Feast of Saint Peter", the fishermen's patron saint, June 29). This festival is attended by about 100,000 visitors from Malaysia and abroad. At the festival one can hear Kristang folk songs and watch dancers in colourful costumes perform to the rhythm of branyu music. An important event in the festival is the blessing of the local fishermen's boats, specially decorated for the occasion, to assure good catch. [1]

Orang Asli Jah Hut of Peninsular Malaysia

Jah Hut (Jah Het) is an Aslian Austroasiatic language spoken in Peninsular Malaysia by approximately 5,100 people. The Jah Hut are categorised among the Orang Asli indigenous tribal peoples of Malaysia

Temple of Bujang Valley

The Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approximately 224 square km. Situated near Merbok, Kedah, between Gunung Jerai in the north and Muda River in the south, it is the richest archaeological area in Malaysia.[1]
These archaeological remains show that there was a Hindu-Buddhist polity here. The name itself is roughly translated into "Dragon Valley". The area consists of ruins that may date more than 2000 years old. More than fifty ancient tomb temples, called candi (pronounce "chandi"), have also been unearthed. The most impressive and well-preserved of these is located in Pengkalan Bujang, Merbok. The Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum is also located here. In the area of Bujang Valley known as Sungai Batu, excavation have revealed jetty remains, iron smelting sites, and a clay brick monument dating back to 110AD, making it the oldest man-made structure to be recorded in Southeast Asia.[2]
Research also indicates that there was a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom here possibly as early as 110 CE.[3] The local rulers adopted Indian cultural and political models earlier than those of Kutai in eastern Borneo, in southern Celebes or Tarumanegara in western Java, where remains showing Indian influence have been found dating from the early 5th century. Relics found in the Bujang Valley are now on display at the archaeological museum. Items include inscribed stone caskets and tablets, metal tools and ornaments, ceramics, pottery, and Hindu icons.
For the past two decades, students from universities around Malaysia have been invited for research and have done their graduate works at the Valley. Much of the historical links is still vague considering not many of the scriptures and writings survive. Even the temples did not survive the onslaught of age because their wooden roofing has rotted and withered over the past 1200 years. The museum itself is inadequate and not organized, much of the findings are elsewhere scattered from Museum Negara to Singapore (which once formed a part of Malaysia. Folk stories and oral history also provide place for a magnificent kingdom of jewels and gold. Outside peninsular and insular Southeast Asia, there is oral history in India that suggests the presence of golden chariots and jewels in hidden caves at Bujang Valley and Mount Jerai. Some visitors to the antiquity department at Muzium Negara has eye witness recollection of magnificent objects such as a 10 feet tall Raja Bersiung Throne and various idols and items from the Valley