My Takes on Malaysian's Favorite Dessert

Malaysia - is a small, developing country filled with abundant mouth-watering food that fit one's taste. With cheap food and plenty to choose from; be it breakfast, lunch, or dessert there are so many things to try.

Today, I'm going to share my takes on one of the Malaysian delicacies that you shouldn't miss.

Cendol and 'Ais Kacang'

On a hot and sunny day, a sweet icy dessert is the only thing that can quench your thirst. Cendol, and its siblings, 'Ais Kacang' are both at par in being Malaysian's top picks as a local hi-tea dessert. Alas, they even have cendol or Ais Kacang for lunch, since that is when the sun strikes its strongest heatwave. 

A classic and simple cendol consists of shaved ice; fresh coconut milk, 'gula Melaka (local palm sugar), and jelly noodles made from rice flour with green food coloring; called cendol. Now you can guess how cendol got its name right? the cendol has a slimy texture like jelly grass. So, if you're not a fan of slimy stuff. You can ask the vendor to not add it into your cendol. But, what is a cendol without cendol right? make sure to try it first okay, then you can decide whether it's a 'yay' or 'nay'.

If you want to try something bizarre, you can opt for 'Cendol Durian'. Durian is the king of fruit in Malaysia. The fruit itself has this unique indescribable flavor with a  soft and creamy texture. But, early warning for you, some people dislike its smell. Fright not, the experience of trying something new is always irreplaceable. Hence, don't be scared to try cendol durian, especially if it's made from the most expensive durian, The Musang King Durian.

Meanwhile, 'Ais Kacang', consists of shaved ice, sweetened condensed or evaporated milk, topped with red-colored rose syrup and red beans. Red beans in Malay are 'Kacang Merah. At some shops, they also add grass jelly, canned sweet corn, nata de coco, peanuts, and ice cream. 

Now you know the difference and won't make mistakes when you order one.

Here is a picture of Cendol that I have during my visit to Melaka. We add some sticky rice (pulut) and sweet corn into our cendol

Yup! you can customize your cendol however you like, depending on the Cendol stall that you visit.

Can you guess whether this is ais kacang or cendol? 

The answer is Ais Kacang. Even though there is cendol on top, it's still called Ais Kacang. Some even call it ABC. 

Sometimes, even I'm confused between Ais Kacang and Cendol. But, this one is legit Ais Kacang with the addition of cendol. 😂 You can differentiate them by that red-colored syrup. Cendol usually has no red-colored syrup on top.

Both Cendol and Ais Kacang are worth for tourists to try. So, don't forget to visit any cendol stall for some cendol and Ais Kacang Oh, and please recommend your top cendol stall to visit if you don't mind.😊