Eating Abroad

Langkawi, Malaysia

Alan and I went on a 10 day trip to Langkawi, Malaysia for our honeymoon! It was absolutely incredible. Because of my allergies, intolerance, and overall sensitive gut however, eating while we were there was something I was worried about. Every menu I looked at was in their native language and few spoke English. We brought a hot plate with us, hoping to cook most of our own meals from food we picked up at the local grocery stores while we were there. Unfortunately, the 10,000 mile plane ride across the world was no match for the hot plate. When we got to our Airbnb the hot plate was mangled. We had no choice but to make it work! I researched restaurants on the island and was happy to have found two that looked promising - The Red Tomato and Sambal.

Day 1

We hopped on our moped the next morning, excited to explore this beautiful tiny island. As we were driving the 30 mile perimeter of the island, we saw a ton of small roadside stands. We stopped to check them out and found out that they were full of fruits and vegetables! We later found out that these stands were the only source of produce on the island and everything sold there was locally grown. This would be a major source of our food for the next 10 days. We ended up cooking most of our meals in our coffee pot provided by our Airbnb room.

Cook it. Peel it. Skin it.

The grocery stores in Langkawi were extremely different from those we see in the United States. The grocery stores contained only packaged and dry foods. We ended up leaving with a bag of rice, some olive oil, and a container of black pepper. Every night, there was a night market where locals came together and sold clothing, traditional food, seafood, meats, local fruits and vegetables, and even homemade desserts. Alan and I loved the night market, especially since it reminded us of the seasonal farmers markets we attend back home in the summer and fall. It was also a great place for us to pick up delicious mango and dragon fruit cups. We avoided most meats and seafoods as we were unsure if they were cooked properly and/or stored properly. It is important to approach meats (and certain fruits and vegetables) cautiously when you are in a country that does not have the same food safety standards as the United States. Eating undercooked meat or taking a bite out of a piece fruit happens on a daily basis - and usually without second thought. Overseas however, doing something as simple as eating undercooked meats or eating produce raw without washing, peeling, or cooking it could make you really sick. Cook it. Peel it. Skin it. These were the 3 rules Alan and I obeyed rigorously when we were picking food in Malaysia.

If you are going to eat meat when overseas, there are ways to do it that minimize your risk. Alan and I did eat seafood a couple of times on this trip. On our first day there we went on a boat tour in the Strait of Malacca where we weaved through mangroves and floating islands. We stopped at a floating fish farm and restaurant that was located in the middle of the ocean. Here, the fisherman would bring their daily catches and sell them to the restaurant. The restaurant would then keep the fish alive by keeping them in giant netted tanks that rest in the ocean. We ordered a mantis prawn (similar to lobster) and got to even pick out which one we wanted! They cooked it for us and served it with a side of rice and steamed vegetables. I have never had better seafood! We went on an ocean fishing trip on our last day. There we caught 50 grouper- we kept 6 and gave the rest to our guide. We were told that if we were to bring our fish to one of restaurants that they would cook them for us. We did not believe that a restaurant would actually do that for us, but decided to try. We brought them to our favorite place that we had eaten at over the course of our trip- Sambal. When we got there they were closed. We were bummed! As we were turning around to leave, the owner came out and told us if we wanted to eat he would open for us. We did not want to be a burden but he insisted. He took our fish from us, cleaned them and cooked them into a beautiful traditional Malaysian curry.

Eating in Malaysia was enjoyable, stress free, and easy. Not only did I have a variety of foods to choose from, but I also was able to eat healthy whole foods that my body enjoyed. Picking foods when traveling abroad can be overwhelming, however with the right planning and creativity, eating when overseas is doable and fun!