Cuisine

Malaysia's cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population.^[200] Many cultures from within the country and from surrounding regions have greatly influenced the cuisine. Much of the influence comes from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures,^[91] largely due to the country being part of the ancient spice route.^[201] The cuisine is very similar to that of Singapore and Brunei,^[104] and also bears resemblance to Filipino cuisine.^[91] The different states have varied dishes,^[104] and often the food in Malaysia is different from the original dishes.^[155]
Sometimes food not found in its original culture is assimilated into another; for example, Chinese restaurants in Malaysia often serve Malay dishes.^[202] Food from one culture is sometimes also cooked using styles taken from another culture,^[104] This means that although much of Malaysian food can be traced back to a certain culture, they have their own identity.^[201] Rice is popular in many dishes. Chili is commonly found in local cuisine, although this does not necessarily make them spicy.^[200]