6 ms·

The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes

128 points by xingyzt 6y ago

maxk42 6y ago
These are beautiful. I worked in a Malaysian restaurant as a young adult and unfortunately they didn't serve cakes. I'm a little saddened to think I may never get to experience one.
- wombatmobile 6y ago
  Awesome! Thanks for sharing, maxk42. You can still DIY, like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pv1Ktp9s0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pv1Ktp9s0M
- Chunklight 6y ago
  When Covid calms down, Sarawak is a wonderful place to visit.
  - williamgrant 6y ago
    I second this! Sabah, Serawak and just about the entirety of MY is on my travel itinerary post-covid. I did not appreciate the country nearly enough when I lived there a few years ago.
  - darrenf 6y ago
    Agreed. Kuching makes a fantastic base, and it's remarkably easy to visit the incredible, diverse places across the state. My partner and I visited in Autumn 2019 and had an amazing time. Highly recommend Bako national park in particular!
jelliclesfarm 6y ago
They seem to be the Malaysian equivalent of Battenberg cakes but more intricate and complicated
082349872349872 6y ago
As a low 懐石, these cakes would be nice to eat after reading: https://aeon.co/ideas/is-there-any-real-distinction-between-high-and-low-pleasures https://aeon.co/ideas/is-there-any-real-distinction-between-... Bonus battenberg track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA
dwd 6y ago
When I was living in Labuan most food places sold cakes (usually a simpler pattern) and nasi lemak (coconut rice topped with sambal and wrapped in a banana leaf) for breakfast. Maybe an acquired taste but I found the amount of butter and oil a bit sickly.
- te_chris 6y ago
  Nasi lemak is one of the worlds great dishes, at any time of the day!
9nGQluzmnq3M 6y ago
Kueh lapis is delicious, but by local standards eye-wateringly expensive due to the effort involved, even when it's just "regular" layer cake and not further remixed like the Sarawak variant. With a minimum wage of RM 1100/mo, that RM250 cake is a week's income. Some well-known local chains if you're even in the region: https://lavender.com.my/ https://lavender.com.my/ http://www.bengawansolo.com.sg/cat_signature_range.aspx http://www.bengawansolo.com.sg/cat_signature_range.aspx In the spirit of HN, perhaps there's room for a startup to automate the process with robotics and 3D printing...
qubex 6y ago
> the Sarawak government designated it as a “protected geographical indicator,” decreeing that true kek lapis Sarawak can only be made within state borders I love stuff like this... a governmental body’s deliberate grab for extra-territorial authority. We have similar things in Italy (D.O.C.: Denominazione di Origine Controllata, meaning “Name with a Controlled Origin”) but at least that’s substantiated by a E.U.-level authority. I suppose in this case it is supported by national authority, but the funny thing is that it’s only within the confines of a higher authority that grants these powers to its lower constituents that such powers can exist (or within the context of international trade deals). A better term than the active-voice ‘designated’ might’ve been the mixed active/passive-voice “requested, and was granted”, but I’m probably splitting hairs here. I spent quite a while in Malaysia back in the early-to-mid 2000s, but I never actually tried this. The ingredients don’t sound super-appetising to me. EDIT: fixed formatting & punctuation.
- brosinante 6y ago
  The geographical indication in the EU is used to protect a product's name/brand, not stop it from being produced outside that area. I can make Aceto Balsamico in my basement the traditional way (I'd need a basement first), and can sell it, but not call Aceto Balsamico.
  - Melting_Harps 6y ago
    > The geographical indication in the EU is used to protect a product's name/brand, not stop it from being produced outside that area. I can make Aceto Balsamico in my basement the traditional way (I'd need a basement first), and can sell it, but not call Aceto Balsamico. And this is exactly what happens in Italy, too; I did my apprenticeship there and ran a Kitchen in Emilia Romanga, where quite honestly it seems everything that comes out of there is protected (restricted is more like it) with that seal. However, after a few months I got invited to what can be best described as an underground Farmer's Market to Industry only guests that moves around people's farms/properties where they sell their products, be it Aceto, or Parmigiano, Culatello, Lambrusco etc... as a white label product sold strictly for 'personal use' only, but a poorly kept secret was that it was possible it also somehow found its way to the tables of certain restaurants as an accompaniment to an apperativo or as an anti-pasti. They're amazing products, made by artisans with great care, but they simply lacked a that designation as they were done in such small batches that even considering acquiring it would set them back economically. It was entirely like a faire with karaoke and music and dancing as well as make-shift stalls for these kind of products and they made food, and since it was mainly made up of a curated list of local chefs and farmers everything was amazing, it was the one of the highlights of my career to have been allowed to join and I wish I could have gone more often but work restricted me from going as it was mainly held during service hours and only announced a few days ahead of the event.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
blunte 6y ago
I thought for sure the title was a typo for "caves". But no, they are complex cakes!

128 points by xingyzt 6y ago

These are beautiful. I worked in a Malaysian restaurant as a young adult and unfortunately they didn't serve cakes. I'm a little saddened to think I may never get to experience one.

wombatmobile 6y ago
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, maxk42. You can still DIY, like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pv1Ktp9s0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pv1Ktp9s0M
Chunklight 6y ago
When Covid calms down, Sarawak is a wonderful place to visit.
- williamgrant 6y ago
  I second this! Sabah, Serawak and just about the entirety of MY is on my travel itinerary post-covid. I did not appreciate the country nearly enough when I lived there a few years ago.
- darrenf 6y ago
  Agreed. Kuching makes a fantastic base, and it's remarkably easy to visit the incredible, diverse places across the state. My partner and I visited in Autumn 2019 and had an amazing time. Highly recommend Bako national park in particular!

jelliclesfarm 6y ago

They seem to be the Malaysian equivalent of Battenberg cakes but more intricate and complicated

082349872349872 6y ago

As a low 懐石, these cakes would be nice to eat after reading: https://aeon.co/ideas/is-there-any-real-distinction-between-high-and-low-pleasures https://aeon.co/ideas/is-there-any-real-distinction-between-... Bonus battenberg track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA

dwd 6y ago

When I was living in Labuan most food places sold cakes (usually a simpler pattern) and nasi lemak (coconut rice topped with sambal and wrapped in a banana leaf) for breakfast. Maybe an acquired taste but I found the amount of butter and oil a bit sickly.

te_chris 6y ago
Nasi lemak is one of the worlds great dishes, at any time of the day!

9nGQluzmnq3M 6y ago

Kueh lapis is delicious, but by local standards eye-wateringly expensive due to the effort involved, even when it's just "regular" layer cake and not further remixed like the Sarawak variant. With a minimum wage of RM 1100/mo, that RM250 cake is a week's income. Some well-known local chains if you're even in the region: https://lavender.com.my/ https://lavender.com.my/ http://www.bengawansolo.com.sg/cat_signature_range.aspx http://www.bengawansolo.com.sg/cat_signature_range.aspx In the spirit of HN, perhaps there's room for a startup to automate the process with robotics and 3D printing...

qubex 6y ago

> the Sarawak government designated it as a “protected geographical indicator,” decreeing that true kek lapis Sarawak can only be made within state borders I love stuff like this... a governmental body’s deliberate grab for extra-territorial authority. We have similar things in Italy (D.O.C.: Denominazione di Origine Controllata, meaning “Name with a Controlled Origin”) but at least that’s substantiated by a E.U.-level authority. I suppose in this case it is supported by national authority, but the funny thing is that it’s only within the confines of a higher authority that grants these powers to its lower constituents that such powers can exist (or within the context of international trade deals). A better term than the active-voice ‘designated’ might’ve been the mixed active/passive-voice “requested, and was granted”, but I’m probably splitting hairs here. I spent quite a while in Malaysia back in the early-to-mid 2000s, but I never actually tried this. The ingredients don’t sound super-appetising to me. EDIT: fixed formatting & punctuation.

brosinante 6y ago
The geographical indication in the EU is used to protect a product's name/brand, not stop it from being produced outside that area. I can make Aceto Balsamico in my basement the traditional way (I'd need a basement first), and can sell it, but not call Aceto Balsamico.
- Melting_Harps 6y ago
  > The geographical indication in the EU is used to protect a product's name/brand, not stop it from being produced outside that area. I can make Aceto Balsamico in my basement the traditional way (I'd need a basement first), and can sell it, but not call Aceto Balsamico. And this is exactly what happens in Italy, too; I did my apprenticeship there and ran a Kitchen in Emilia Romanga, where quite honestly it seems everything that comes out of there is protected (restricted is more like it) with that seal. However, after a few months I got invited to what can be best described as an underground Farmer's Market to Industry only guests that moves around people's farms/properties where they sell their products, be it Aceto, or Parmigiano, Culatello, Lambrusco etc... as a white label product sold strictly for 'personal use' only, but a poorly kept secret was that it was possible it also somehow found its way to the tables of certain restaurants as an accompaniment to an apperativo or as an anti-pasti. They're amazing products, made by artisans with great care, but they simply lacked a that designation as they were done in such small batches that even considering acquiring it would set them back economically. It was entirely like a faire with karaoke and music and dancing as well as make-shift stalls for these kind of products and they made food, and since it was mainly made up of a curated list of local chefs and farmers everything was amazing, it was the one of the highlights of my career to have been allowed to join and I wish I could have gone more often but work restricted me from going as it was mainly held during service hours and only announced a few days ahead of the event.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

blunte 6y ago

I thought for sure the title was a typo for "caves". But no, they are complex cakes!