02/01/2023
Before you sleep, lets take a look at history of mee goreng! 😍
Some sources suggest that it was the Muslim Chulias of Madras who originally popularised the dish. The dish remains strongly associated with the Indian Muslim community although it is sometimes also categorised as a Malay dish. According to some, the earliest known mee goreng outlet, Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng in Penang, Malaysia, first started on a push-cart in the early 20th century. Traditionally, mee goreng had a brown hue but now bears a strong red colour due to the tomato sauce used. This is especially true of the Penang mamak mee goreng, which is thoroughly red. In some stalls, mee rebus gravy is poured over the noodles.
In Penang, the use of dried cuttlefish in the stock gives the gravy its distinctive taste. Sometimes curry leaves, tamarind juice and toasted sesame seeds are added, adding a complex flavour to the dish. Other stalls add prawn stock and even mashed sweet potatoes for added sweetness. Recently, the addition of deep fried ikan bilis (anchovies) has given rise to a new version of mee goreng known as ikan bilis mee goreng.
