10 Food-Themed Gifts Perfect For Every Hungry Malaysian
If you’re anything like this writer, the human version of an awkward dodo, then you must have struggled choosing gifts for people.
Instead of spending HOURS debating on choosing the right gift, we’ve finally found the PERFECT Malaysian life hack:
FOOD-THEMED GIFTS!
It’s so obvious. Malaysians and food go together like kaya and toasted bread. So this list of 10 food-themed gifts perfect for every hungry Malaysian will ALWAYS be useful!
1. Cendol Earrings
When it’s a boiling hot day, nothing keeps us feeling better than a nice cold bowl of cendol. And since Malaysia has only two seasons, rain or sun (well, 3 if you count haze season), a cendol gift will forever be appreciated.
This particular cool accessory is from BMYTA, an arts & crafts Facebook page that sells quirky knick knacks of other Malaysian favourites as well.
TRP Tip: Gift this together with a bowl of cendol and your friendship will always be chill.
2. Kuih Charm Bracelet
From the dextrous hands of a young Malaysian who runs TinyPinc Miniatures, these handmade polymer clay charms are SO.CUTE.
There’s bahulu, kuih kapit, kuih ketayap, kuih lapis, kuih seri muka, pineapple tart and the list goes on and on and on and on…..
But we have to admit, this is an in-kuih-dable gift for someone with a sweet tooth!
3. Cap Ayam Travel Pouch
Ah, the Cap Ayam cubed pineapples. Seen at every Hari Raya/CNY/Deepavali open house when our mums get creative and prepare fruit punch for thirsty guests.
Bingka KL (yes, the same people who made the Uniqlo Malaysia Day stickers) hit the nostalgia nail on the head with this handmade silkscreen ‘Cap Ayam Travel Pouch’ which is a pretty useful travel companion tbh.
In conclusion, gifting this to a friend will definitely make you the (pine)apple of their eye.
4. Your Favourite Mamak Order T-Shirt
We all have that one friend who’s the unofficial mamak ambassador, always suggesting we go mamak for EVERY makan or lepak session.
To celebrate their unwavering dedication to Malaysia’s favourite restaurant, just give them this “mamak order” t-shirt from Apom. Best to do it at (where else?) the mamak because when they start crying tears of joy, just pass them a piece of roti tisu.
TRP Tip: Gift this to a crush on their birthday and say “I’m teh tarik to you” (success of finding love not guaranteed).
5. Milo Pin
The Malaysian love for Milo is indescribable. We are the land of Milo Dinosaur lah!
So when you’re choosing a gift for that Milo-lover fan, pick up this super cute Milo pin from Pantun Pins! They can wear it on their jacket, shirts, bags or hats and you’ll be responsible for their stylo Milo look.
TRP Tip: If you want to go the extra mile, gift this together with a packet of cream crackers and Milo. Trust us on this.
6. Cakoi Plushie
Alright, we can’t resist cakoi in real life and we certainly can’t resist an adorable squishy cakoi plushie!
This huggable toy is actually made by a Singapore-based design studio called wheniwasfour with the name ‘You Tiao Plushie’ and we’re pretty sure you’ll get plenty of hugs for this cute gift.
TRP Tip: Present this present over a bak kut teh makan session because, honestly, who can resist the bak kut teh and cakoi combo?
7. Nasi Lemak Phone Case
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without including Malaysia’s national dish.
There’s honestly be SO MANY nasi lemak-themed accessories, food (and even condoms!) that we can’t keep up anymore, but this nasi lemak phone case from Myfonkase looks pretty good!
So if you’re buying a gift for sambal-dy who’s a nasi lemak fan, this’ll make them go nuts!
8. Makan Keychains
Lets say you have a Secret Santa gift exchange coming up and you have to buy something for a colleague that you’ve only ever smiled at 3 times this year.
You don’t want give them something lame (or too expensive), so these RM10 Malaysian food keychains from LokaMade are honestly the best option. They’re colourful, quirky and straight up delicious looking!
Who knows, this could be the key to the start of a beautiful friendship!
9. Boba Iron Patch + Any Clothing
For that boba-loving friend, you want to surprise them with something MORE than buying them their favourite drink. That’s why you need to get this cute iron on patch by KL-based moodoodles.
You can upgrade a simple hat/sock/shirt/hijab by strategically ironing on this boba patch to create something that’ll leave them bubbling with excitement.
10. Instant Noodles Bag
We’re fully aware that instant noodles bags are something that’s been pretty viral on the internet, but it’s hard to find someone wearing this in real life.
An extra special gift for that friend who’s gaga over Indomie / Maggi / Mamee /any instant noodle, there’s actually plenty of options online.
If you have about RM1,300 to spare, then you can check out RommydeBommy‘s noodles purse that went viral in 2018. But if you cant afford to splurge that much, we also found a very nice Idomie goreng tote bag on an Australian website.
Otherwise, there’s a number of pretty cheap instant noodles bags on popular online shopping sites. Just make sure to do your due diligence as you can never be 100% sure of the quality.
So there you have it, TRP’s list of 10 food-themed gifts perfect for every hungry Malaysian that’ll come in handy every time!
Tempted by these delicious food-themed gifts? Let us know which ones are your favourite on TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
