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Food Culture

Notes on Nasi Kandar and the Weight of a Shoulder Pole in Penang

In Penang, nasi kandar arrives as a plate of rice buried under several gravies, while its name refers not to an ingredient but to a shoulder pole. The pole has disappeared from the shops, but something of its weight remains on the plate.

Notes on Nasi Kandar in Malaysia

At a nasi kandar counter, the food is arranged less like a menu than a brown range of curries, fried chicken, fish, and vegetables. A customer points, and the plate only takes shape when several sauces are poured over it.