This classic street food item consists of a French loaf that is sliced lengthwise and generously doused with a mixture of lightly beaten eggs, minced meat, onions, and various combination of spices and vegetables. The bread is then fried top-down, until the topping sets and becomes crispy.
The history of roti John is shrouded in mystery, but most agree that it was created by a hawker named Shukor in Singapore, sometime in the 1970s. From there it spread to other parts of Malaysian peninsula and has become a classic hawker dish that is always freshly prepared and served warm, typically sliced into smaller pieces.
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Popiah is a traditional roll, wrapped and filled with a variety of ingredients. Often compared to the more famous spring rolls, the main difference is that popiah is never deep-fried. The crepe-like wrappers for popiah are delicate and light, but easily foldable to hold all the ingredients together.
The fillings are extremely versatile, but usually have four essential components: the main fillings, garnishes, spices, and sauces. The main fillings vary from meat and seafood to vegetables, while thinly sliced condiments most commonly include cucumbers, Chinese sausages, or eggs.
Bánh mì xíu mại is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variety made with ground pork meatballs as the main ingredient. The meatballs are usually made with a combination of ground pork, corn starch, fish sauce, garlic, black pepper, scallions, and jicama.
They’re cooked in a sauce consisting of tomatoes, garlic, oil, sugar, and fish sauce. In order to prepare the sandwich, the meatballs are placed into a sliced bánh mì roll along with the sauce, and bánh mì xíu mại is then typically topped with coriander, pickled daikon and carrots, and sliced chili peppers, if desired.
Bánh mì ốp la is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variation made with fried eggs as the main ingredient. The fried eggs can replace the meat in the sandwich or they can be used alongside meat such as chả lụa pork sausage or slices of roasted pork belly.
The eggs are stuffed into a bánh mì roll, and the sandwich is then usually topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander, and pickled daikon and carrots. Typical condiments include mayonnaise, soy sauce, or hot chili sauce. Depending on the vendor selling the sandwich, it can also contain added ingredients such as headcheese or liver pâté.
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