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: Satay is widely thought to have developed on Java in the 19th century, and Javanese migrants brought it to the Malay Peninsula, where towns such as Kajang became famous for their own versions and thick peanut sauce.