KUCHING: Malaysia’s roti canai has been ranked as one of the best breads in the world.
The recognition comes from the international food travel guide, TasteAtlas, which recently unveiled its list of 100 Best Rated Breads in the World on its website.
According to TasteAtlas, roti canai is a traditional pan-fried flatbread and it is made with flour, water, eggs, and fat of Indian origin, but mainly associated with Malaysia, and surrounding countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand.
The dough for roti canai is repeatedly folded, so the final product has a layered texture, a soft interior, and a crispy outer layer.
The most common fat used in roti canai is ghee, the traditional Indian clarified butter.
It is believed that the dish originated from India whose indentured workers came to Malaysia, bringing with them the recipe and the tradition of preparing this crispy pastry.
Besides Malaysia, roti canai can also be found in countries like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and a few other countries.
TasteAtlas explained that its food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognise real users.
“For the ‘100 Best Rated Breads in the World’ list until Sept 11, 2023, 14,596 ratings were recorded, of which 9,641 were recognised by the system as legitimate,” it said.
It added TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food, but the purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes one has yet to try.
Along with Malaysia’s roti canai, the list featured traditional Colombian bread – Pan de bono in second place; India’s butter garlic naan secured third place; fourth place went to Iranian wheat-based leavened flatbread Nan-e Barbari, and Ecuadorian cassava bread, Pan de Yuca, claimed fifth place.
To view the full list, visit https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-breads-in-the-world.
