Malaysia is famous for its amazing food scene, packed with dishes that reflect its multicultural roots. This delicious variety attracts both locals and tourists who are eager to try the unique flavours of Malaysian cuisine. Nasi lemak is a standout, but another beloved dish that shouldn’t be missed is cendol.
Typically, this delicacy is enjoyed at the numerous eateries scattered across Malaysia. However, some enthusiasts prefer to recreate this dish at home, relishing the process of cooking as much as the flavours themselves.
Yet, for those unfamiliar with Malaysian cuisine, misunderstandings about the dishes can occur.
Japanese woman mistakes cendol for ramen
Such a misunderstanding recently went viral, thanks to a video shared by a Japanese woman on the TikTok account @sora_fula.
The woman, named Sora, astonished TikTok users by creating what she called a “cendol soup.” A content creator by profession, Sora mistakenly believed that cendol, a popular Malaysian dessert, was akin to ramen, a staple from her homeland of Japan.
In the video, Sora is seen at a supermarket, holding a package of cendol. She refers to it as “Malaysian Ramen,” evidently unaware of its actual use.
The situation escalates when she proceeds to demonstrate how to cook ramen using cendol, even questioning the green colour of the cendol, which differs significantly from the ramen noodles she knows.
Once the dish was prepared, Sora eagerly tasted her creation, only to find the texture of the cendol had become too soft after cooking. She expressed her confusion, wondering aloud if she had overcooked it.
“Boiled too long? It’s too soft,” she remarked in the video.
At the end of her video, Sora asked TikTok users for help, looking for advice on the right way to enjoy cendol.
‘That’s cendol, sis’
The response was immediate and overwhelming, with many people expressing their shock and amusement at her culinary experiment.
One user commented, “That’s cendol, sis. No one ever makes it into a soup, hm.”
Another quipped, “Ahh, now cendol turned into soup. How do we explain this?”
A more humorous take read, “Breaking the laws of cendol. Poor cendol usually stays cold, suddenly it’s in hot.”
Another detailed response offered Sora a lesson in cendol’s traditional preparation: “No, no, it’s not even a noodle. It is cendol, my friend. It’s supposed to be served with coconut milk, brown sugar syrup, beans, and corn (optional). Let’s learn together, my friend.”
Watch the clip here:
