Brunei Darussalam

A thick, translucent, flavourless paste made by stirring dried sago-palm starch into boiling water, eaten communally by twirling portions onto a two-pronged bamboo fork (candas) and dipping into tangy, spicy cacah sauce alongside grilled fish, pickled vegetables, and other wet sides.

A Bruneian everyday chicken braise in which julienned or sliced fresh ginger is used so abundantly that it reads as a vegetable co-star rather than a background aromatic, finished with turmeric, shallots, garlic, and a light soy-based seasoning.

A slow-braised beef dish from Minangkabau tradition in which tough cuts are simmered in spiced coconut milk until every drop of liquid has evaporated and the meat is coated in a dark, caramelised, dry spice-and-toasted-coconut crust.

Pan-fried mashed-potato patties seasoned with fried shallots and coriander, served as a side or accompaniment to soupy dishes.

A Bruneian noodle dish of rice vermicelli served in a rich, golden coconut-prawn broth seasoned with a fried rempah spice paste, topped with shredded chicken, whole prawns, and accompanied by sambal belacan.

Glutinous rice wrapped and steamed inside nyirik leaves into firm cylindrical rolls, eaten with savoury accompaniments.

A deep-fried, crisp ring-shaped traditional cookie made from rice flour and palm sugar, with concentric interlocking loops, eaten as a festive treat in Brunei and Sabah.

A crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth Bruneian shortbread-style cookie made from flour and rich ghee, lightly sweetened, traditionally baked for Hari Raya celebrations.

Nasi Katok is Brunei's definitive street staple: a portion of plain steamed white rice paired with one piece of crispy bone-in fried chicken and a small mound of sambal, traditionally wrapped in banana leaf or brown paper and sold at minimal cost around the clock.

A Malay assembled dish of rice steamed in full-fat coconut milk and pandan leaves, served as a precisely composed plate of spicy cooked sambal, crispy fried dried anchovies, a cooked egg, roasted peanuts, and fresh cucumber slices — components considered structurally inseparable from one another.

A Bruneian dish of freshwater or river fish coated in a turmeric-chilli spice paste, wrapped in banana leaf, and grilled or steamed until the parcel is fragrant and the fish moist.

A pungent Malay-world condiment of toasted fermented shrimp paste pounded with red chillies and lime, served raw as a universal table relish.

A Bruneian-Malay dish of ripe durian flesh simmered with coconut milk and palm sugar into a thick, fragrant sweet custard-like sauce, eaten on its own or over rice.

A Bruneian turmeric-yellow chicken or beef broth ladled over compressed rice cakes and potato, topped with boiled egg and fried shallots.

A Malaysian hot milk tea of strongly brewed CTC black tea blended with sweetened condensed milk and aerated into a signature froth by repeatedly 'pulling' — pouring the mixture in a high arc between two vessels.