Malaysian Coffee Then and Now

When you talk about Malaysian coffee, either you think about a drink made of coffee beans harvested in Malaysia, or a certain taste of coffee that you heavily associate with it. In any case, this beverage is prepared by holding ground coffee in a certain cloth and pouring boiling water over it. The result is a strong and bitter taste, but anyhow, people love to drink it either hot or cold. If you’re looking for some sweetness, you can simply add condensed milk and you get that extra titillation on your taste buds.

When in Malaysia, a popular hangout of coffee lovers is a Kopitiam coffee shop which reminds everyone of the pre-war era when ceiling fans provided ventilation for people who shared a few cups while talking about their lives and others’. Coffee served in this shop is about the same as coffee you’ll find in Thailand’s Trang province, which is home to the kin of Fujian traders.

People in Malaysia are predominantly tea-drinkers, so it’s rather unclear how coffee became quite popular in this country through the centuries. Liberica, which is native to Africa, was believed to have been brought to Malaysia in the 18th century.  

With the advent of technology and commercialism, coffee in Malaysia has taken on the fast lane with instant products such as Old Town White Coffee and Nescafe Coffee being very popular among modern shoppers. These instant varieties are readily available in stores of all shapes and sizes, from malls to specialty stores that also sell other goods such as Maggi Noodles, Apollo Cake and the like.