The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
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The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
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Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#2These 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.
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#3These 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.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, maxk42.
You can still DIY, like this
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#4These 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.
When Covid calms down, Sarawak is a wonderful place to visit.
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#5They seem to be the Malaysian equivalent of Battenberg cakes but more intricate and complicated
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#6As a low 懐石, these cakes would be nice to eat after reading: https://aeon.co/ideas/is-there-any-real-distinction-between-...
Bonus battenberg track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#7When 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.
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#8Kueh 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:
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...
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#9> 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.
Re: The mesmerizing geometry of Malaysia’s most complex cakes
#10> 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.-l…
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.