Skewers · Charcoal-Grilled

Satay

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Malaysia's favorite skewer actually started out on Javanese street carts across the strait in Indonesia.

Small chunks of marinated chicken, beef, or mutton are threaded onto skewers and grilled over open charcoal, then served with a rich peanut sauce alongside compressed rice cakes and cucumber. Vendors fan the coals by hand at night markets across the country.

Why it's made this way: The dish spread from Java through trade and migration routes in the early 20th century, and Malaysian cooks adapted the dipping sauce by adding milk, giving it a lighter, smoother texture than its Indonesian coconut-based cousin.