Malaysian home cooking guide

Lauren Taylor chats to Julie Lin about classic dishes and soy sauce mistakes

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Food is such a huge part of Malaysian identity that chef and author Julie Lin says, "I would say food is the culture-it's such a starting point when it comes to everything.

Growing up in Glasgow, with a Scottish dad and Malaysian (Malay-Chinese) mum - who moved to the UK in the 1970s as a nurse - Lin says her mum "couldn't speak the language so would communicate through food - she'd always use food as a means to express friendship with people."

Embracing her mixed heritage has been a journey for Lin, who once competed on BBC's MasterChef in 2014.

So, if you're new to Malaysian food - what do you need to know?

It's made up of many different parts

"Because Malaysia is made up of so many different races and religions, there are different types of cuisines," explains Lin.

The key ingredients