Does Roti Canai Originate From Malaysia Or Does It Hail From India S Paratha Parotta Ancestry

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FOOD, glorious food.
Instead of just enjoying the wide variety available to tempt local palates, Malaysians are always keen to lay claim to origin of dishes.
The latest example of this phenomenon was highlighted in a post on X by medical doctor Amirul Azhar (@amirulahharrr) who claimed that in his five years living in India, he never come across any diners selling roti canai (main image).
He was responding to Indian techie Amit Misra (@amit6060) who claimed on the social media platform that the breakfast staple was brought to the Malaysian shores by Indian labourers.
Amit Misra has made the observation based on TasteAtlas’ ranking of best breads which had placed the humble roti canai top of its list as of its September 2023 ranking while citing it as a Malaysian delicacy.

Needless to say, the topic of food and its origins is certain to get Malaysians all hot under the collar with the post having generated 726K views at time of publication. Many were keen to proffer their two sen worth.
One netizen asked if this was true that roti canai could not be found in India as he has always believed its origins were from Chennai, hence its name. However, the poster claimed that what could be found in India was vastly different from the Malaysian version.

One mocked the poster for ordering roti canai in India when it is more commonly known as “roti paratha” (main image; inset). But the poster doubled down and insisted they did not taste the same.

A commenter contended that this was typical of Malays whose primary hobby was to lay claim to food and culture of others, specifically Indonesia. He attributed as “karma” now that their beloved roti canai is being claimed by India.

One netizen reacted angrily by claiming that “roti paratha” is not as widespread in India as roti canai is in Malaysia. Quite hilariously (and erroneously), he went on to claim that the bread only existed as YouTube video and was not common street food in India.

While another netizen (who is possibly not Malaysian) further stoked the fires with the provocative claim that nothing about delicacies from Malaysia is original given that they somehow bear “Indonesian influence”.

Of course, there were those who took the opportunity to turn the online debate into a race issue.

However, some netizens sought to inject some decorum into the debate by pointing out that there are differences between the Malaysian and Indian versions. Among others, different ingredients were used to suit local palates, hence the end-product should just be enjoyed for what it is.

It is obvious that for many, food by extension has become a discussion about race and identity.
Malaysians need to take a chill pill and not be so gung-ho in claiming everything as their own. So, what if a certain dish has its origins elsewhere? Just be thankful that it has made its way here and become an indelible part of the local food culture.
A change in mindset is very much required for the nation to move forward – celebrate diversity; reject cultural hegemony.
Meanwhile, FocusM wishes all Malaysians Bon Appetit whether they are about to savour roti canai or “roti paratha”. – Focus Malaysia

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