ABSTRACT
Being Malaysian at the start of the twenty-first century is often defined in two
primary ways: the strategic aims of party politics and everyday teh tarik
nationalism. The former requires no further explanation. Teh tarik, on the other
hand, is a sweet milky tea commonly assumed to be of Indian origins that is
made frothy by draining the mixture from one hand-held container into another
in a long arcing movement. Malaysians commonly identify themselves and their
national identity through this tea and similar symbols of consumption regarded as
unique to the country. Party political aims and tea come together in government
or private sector-backed teh tarik contests held nationwide. Teh tarik thus comes
to symbolise contemporary Malaysian nationalism through the stomach.
