The must-haves
Batiks. Originally from Java in Indonesia, batik is very popular in Malaysia. Malays and Malay women have incorporated it into their festive clothing. The process consists in protecting certain sections of the fabric from the coloring process with wax. Successive color baths are used to create patterns, repetitive or otherwise. At the end, the wax is removed with a hot iron or boiling water. The most basic batiks are made using printing blocks on cotton, while the most refined are hand-painted on silk. Prices range from €2.50 to €60 per metre, depending on motif, manufacturing process and material. You'll find beautiful, original creations at Koleksi Melayu, located in Kuala Lumpur's Central Market. In Penang, Sam's Batik House offers beautiful bedspreads and classic floral batiks. To familiarize yourself with the different techniques before making your purchases, be sure to visit the National Textile in Kuala Lumpur or the Batik Painting Museum in Georgetown.
Pewter. In the late 19th century, Malaysia was the world's largest tin producer. By the early 1980s, it was mining over 30% of the world's production. In fact, mining brought most of the Chinese immigration to Malaysia. Jewelry, trinkets and contemporary tableware are the specialty of Royal Selangor, a company founded in 1885. Dedicated boutiques or selections placed with retailers, the products are easy to find, especially in the big cities. You'll find a boutique in Kuala Lumpur's Suria KLCC shopping mall, but you can also visit the boutique-museum in the north of the capital.
Kerongsang. This is a brooch worn by Malay women as part of their traditional kebaya outfit. Often flashy, reproducing floral motifs, you can find them at very low prices when they're made of plastic, or at gold prices when they're made of precious stones and metal. To please your daughter or your mother, you can find them on the market or in jewellers' shops, depending on your budget.
Songket. This other textile art is practiced in Indonesia and Malaysia. Cotton or silk is woven on hand looms, with gold or silver threads inserted in filigree. These precious fabrics often feature geometric patterns, and are worn for special occasions such as festivals and weddings. The origins of this craft are uncertain, but it stems from fervent exchanges between India - for the precious threads - China - for the silk - and Malaysia - for the practice. Here's a truly emblematic souvenir that perfectly symbolizes the country's cross-cultural mix. Weavers are concentrated in the state of Terengganu, on the east coast of the peninsula. You can visit Bibah Songket's weaving workshop in the small village of Rhu Renggeh, near Chendering. If you're not traveling along the east coast, you can drop in at Peninsular Arts & Borneo Crafts in Kuala Lumpur's Central Market.
Woven fibers. Batik and songket aren't the only weavings to bring back from Malaysia. Local handicrafts abound in products made from natural woven fibers. Coir, bamboo, rattan or pandanus leaves are dried, cut into strips and woven into original objects. Placemats, handbags, hats and baskets are all light gifts to slip into your suitcase. You'll find them on the markets and in Ka50's Ali Baba's cave-like boutique in KL's Central Market.
Food products
Durian. The mythical fruit of Southeast Asia, the durian often puts off Western travelers with its stench. According to some, its scent is reminiscent of an overdone old cheese, a long-forgotten garbage can, or even a decomposing corpse. Its consumption is forbidden in public or enclosed places, such as hotels, cabs or the metro, again because of its indelicate fragrance. Despite this less than appealing olfactory portrait, Malaysians love this fruit with its fatty, creamy flesh, which is eaten from April to September. You'll find them at the market, already cut up and wrapped in cellophane. If you're planning to share this delicacy with friends and family, pack it carefully and airtight in your checked luggage. If your heart's not in it, you can turn to durian chocolates. You'll find durian-filled cocoa sweets in almost every supermarket and duty free shop in Kuala Lumpur airport. Look out for the square purple tins from Danson. The perfect gift for a bulky mother-in-law or a colleague you only moderately like!
Tea. After discovering teh tarik and visiting the plantations of Cameron Highlands, you'll want to slip a few bags of Malaysian tea into your suitcase. The locals swear by a single brand, Boh, which you'll find absolutely everywhere. The brand offers a very wide range of different products. Mango-scented iced tea for a hot summer's day, teh tarik with oats for a full breakfast, green tea latte for a hint of the exotic or lebih kaw for maximum effect. From €1 for 25 traditional tea bags.
Café crème. Malaysia has also fallen in love with coffee in its thousand and one variations. But before this fashion phenomenon took hold of almost the entire world, coffee was drunk in small stalls called kopitiam. People used to ask for a white coffee. The practice originated with the Chinese working in the mines of Ipoh in the 19thcentury . Since Western-style coffee was too acidic for them, they added milk or cream to sweeten it. White coffee has become a staple of Malaysian culture. The "Old Town" brand, founded in 1999, has taken it upon itself to freeze-dry the recipe and set up a chain of coffee shops throughout the country. You'll have no trouble getting your hands on it.
Sauces and condiments. If you're planning to cook a typical Malay meal for your friends, do as the locals do. You can buy ready-made sauces and curry pastes in tins. You'll save a lot of time, and above all you won't have to chase after a list of ingredients unlikely to be found in our latitudes. Satay sauce, rendangcurry paste... you'll find them in every supermarket. Preferably try the Brahim or Baba brands, which are more authentic than the Ayam food giant.
The original souvenirs
Medicinal herbs. With a quarter of the population of Chinese origin, Malaysia is a prime location for sourcing traditional herbs and medicinal plants. You don't need to have studied for years to know what to bring. Just head to Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur and ask the shopkeepers what you need to fight a bad cold, heal a hoarse throat or soothe a headache. Be careful, however, not to leave with products banned for export, such as rhinoceros horn or tiger bone powder. But the price should be a warning..
Instant noodles. You're in Asia, a continent where noodles and time are no laughing matter. There's an unimaginable variety of instant noodles to heat up in the microwave or in a bowl of boiling water, in no time at all. If you had to bring back only one kind, it would be MyKuali Penang White Curry Instant Noodles. Sure, you've got to love chilli, as they rank 7th on a list of the world's spiciest noodles. But they're so authentic that when they were first launched on the market, they were immediately sold out. Some enthusiasts went so far as to buy them in bulk from the Penang factory. You'll easily find them in any supermarket.
The boiled egg cooker. Malaysians love gadgets and eggs. In his kitchen, he has a boiled egg cooker that makes breakfast a breeze. Simply pour boiling water over the eggs, then close the cooker. The water runs off smoothly, and at the end of the process, you have eggs with frozen whites and creamy yolks. Magic! Ask for a half-boiled egg cooker in any household appliance store. It will cost you between €2 and €5.
Nutmeg oil. Nutmeg has relaxing properties. Malaysians use the oil obtained by pressing its seeds to relieve aches and pains, sprains and cramps, as well as headaches and stomach aches with light massages. Nutmeg is mainly produced on the island of Penang. You can buy oil from Cheong Kim Chuan, the country's nutmeg specialist. Nutmeg-based balms and creams are also available in pharmacies throughout the country.
Kites. It's not always easy to find a good cultural idea to amuse the young ones, but Kelantan's kites should fill the bill admirably. By buying a kite, you'll be giving pleasure to a young (or not so young) person and helping to preserve an endangered tradition. In the past, men used to compete in kite-flying contests, to see who could fly the highest or perform the craziest tricks. Colorful and adorned with pompoms, they take the form of crescent moons. The real wau is a little bulky, although very light, of course. But you can find miniature versions at the Ka50 boutique in Kuala Lumpur's Central Market. Cost between €5 and €10.
Gamat. This Malaysian term refers to a variety of sea cucumber. Rich in protein, it is used to make skincare products. It comes in two forms:airgamat, or gamat water, can be ingested, while minyak, a gamat-based oil, is applied as a massage, perhaps better suited to our delicate stomachs (and palates). Malaysian women use gamat to treat everyday ailments such as nicks, minor burns and toothache. The best gamat-based products are found on the island of Langkawi, where it is produced.
