Name of Shop: Tan Kim Hock Seng Food Sdn Bhd Are you a fan of Jerry Hopkins (The Chap who wrote Extreme Cuisine)? If you are, then I think you will take to this specialty from Melaka, Malaysia. Called Cincaluk, it's made from tiny shrimp left to rot in salt and rice for weeks on end till it turns a pinky brown colour. The smell, needless to say, stinks like cheese but it's helluva delicious!
What To Buy: For us Peranankans ( Straits Born Chinese ) , no dish is ever complete with this stinky, salty shrimp sauce. Like the Thais with their ubiquitous fish sauce, we use it for practically everything, as a dip for barbequed fish, a sauce for beef noodles and even as seasoning for fried chicken. If you're keen, buy a bottle of the sauce from the famous Tan Kim Hock store in Melaka and try this simple but delicious recipe. Bon Appétit !

Bpacker's Cincaluk Chicken

Ingredients
1)A couple of chicken thighs
2)A salty marinade consisting of 1 tbsp sugar +2.5 tbsp cincaluk +1 tbsp lime juice
3)Herb seasoning consisting of 1 sliced onion+chopped garlic + 2 batttered stalks of lemon grass
4)2 tbsp olive oil
5) 1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce, for colour

->Chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and dunk them in the salty marinade for 15–20 minutes.

-> While your chicken marinades, heat the oil in a wok till it sizzles like enrique iglesias. Fry the herb mixture next. Add the marinated chicken next and fry until it's nice and fragrant . Add a little water and soya sauce and continue to fry until chicken is cooked.
What To Pay: A bottle of rotten shrimp sauce cost about RM3 to 4 at Tan Kim Hock

Like the the Netherlands, traditional wooden clogs will always be in fashion in Melaka, Malaysia... well, at least to the tourist. I wonder if anybody actually remembered that these clogs were traditionally used in wet places like the kitchens and toilets? The toilet slippers came in plain red, of course, unlike the flowery new designs. Even if you're not keen on these clunky slippers, you can get a mini-me pair on a key chain. Kitsch but cute

What To Buy: Pop by Jonker Street and you'll see lots of these clog-making shops . If you can, pester the shop keeper to let you see how those clogs are made. It's a fast-disappearing art as it's difficult to get young apprentices.

What To Pay: Expect to pay up to RM20 if you want delicately painted flowers on your toilet slippers...