Containing three parts, the fruit, mace, and the seed, nutmeg is native to the Indonesian spice islands but has grown to become one of the most important ingredients in Malaysia. Another of Wong’s favourite local ingredients, nutmeg grows on trees, mostly on hillsides, and Penang is the only place in Malaysia that cultivates this seed.

There are two ways that nutmegs can be used with its mace and the seed itself. The mace is the red-hued covering of the seed with a more delicate nutty and woody flavour to the seed itself and is usually made into a spice powder. On the other hand, the seed has a sweeter flavour profile but still retains similar sensory qualities to the mace and is normally grated into recipes.

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If caviar and kelp had a baby, it would be Latok, an ingredient that Wong can never pass on. A species of ulvohyte green algae that grows in a vine-like manner, Latok is also known as sea grapes, an extremely befitting nickname. The plant thrives in sandy, shallow, and temperate waters, so you shouldn't store your sea grapes in a chiller as it would be too cold for the plant.

Sea grapes have a mildly briny flavour profile. Texture-wise, they are reminiscent of caviar but with a firmer shell. Each bite feels like little drops of the ocean exploding on your palate. Wong serves sea grapes fresh and even uses the remaining stems as a salt alternative. Sometimes, you’ll also find dehydrated sea grapes that have been pulverised into a powder at Gēn 根.

Petai burung, also known as petai belalang or petai Cina, is a bean that comes in long and flat encasings. A top pick of Waig by Chipta 11a’s Michael Yee, petai burung can be found abundantly across the country. “Somehow, there were tons of it grown in front of my house,” recalls Yee. “It played a huge part in my childhood when I always tried to explore the woods and mountainous places alone and loved to forage for the unexpected. It was one of my go-to snacks when I got hungry mid-trek!”

The bean has some sweetness to it and is delicate in flavour. Its aromas are much less pungent and polarising than its common petai cousin. Yee favours eating it like a snack or churning and incorporating it into his sambal ikan bilis. You can also try using the new shoots of the plant in ulam. Yee recommends it as an alternative for those who aren’t fans of the sharper smelling petai.

This whimsical looking fruit is the wild gooseberry, another favourite of Yee’s, of which there are two types: the buah ulat bulu, which was named after its spiky and hairy appearance, and buah letup-letup kelambu, which can be seen above. The two are different in phenotypes, but they have something in common: its unripe fruit should not be consumed! “The green or unripe buah letup shouldn't be eaten as they contain solanine, which makes your stomach upset,” explains Yee. “So please, go for the ripe ones, which are a golden yellow colour.”

Buah letup-letup is named after the Malay word for ‘explode’, as its fruit explodes when squeezed. “During my childhood, I loved to press each of the fruits on the plants across the fences and compete with my friends to see who got the loudest ‘pop’!” recalls Yee. The fruit has similar tasting notes to a gooseberry, but is less sweet and is comparable to an unripe tomato. Yee enjoys having the raw fruit itself with his yoghurt bowls and making a jam out of it. 

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A wild mango endemic to East Malaysia, Bambangan has a rough, thick, brown exterior with fibrous, yellow, and thick fruit flesh. According to Aidan Low of Akâr Dining, this fruit has an incredibly unique aroma. “It's like a durian scented mango,” describes Low. Its trees are tall, growing from 15 to 50 meters, and can be found in the forests of Sabah and Sarawak.

The flesh has a sweet and sour taste, and its peel is extremely tough and has a corrosive latex layer. The fruit itself can grow up to a hefty three kilograms. “At Akâr, we try to use all parts of the fruit as it is very seasonal and often quite hard to come by,” says Low. 

Also known as daun pijat or daun kesing, daun cemomok is a local wild shoot that resembles turmeric leaves. It belongs to the same family of plants that include ginger and turmeric. “It has a simple exterior with aromas similar to that of stink beetles (pepijat) when raw,” shares Low. “However, it turns fragrant once cooked and it’s often used in simple stew recipes around the region.” 

Low enjoys using daun cemomok as a herb to bring a unique dimension to his food. Popular cooking methods include using it in a Kelantanese sambal called sambal pijat and ikan masak lemak (ikan curry). The leaf is also used for medicinal purposes for postpartum care. 

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