Expat Living In KL Shares How To Identify Real Cheese In Malaysian Grocery Stores
"If you're buying cheese in Malaysia, be aware to not fall into the trap," she said in her video.
By May Vin Ang — 09 Oct 2023, 04:48 PM
A foreigner living in Kuala Lumpur has shared some helpful tips on how to identify authentic cheese and not overpay for many cheese-like products in Malaysian grocery stores
TikTok user @agaeatskl, who has over 30,000 followers, has garnered over 630,000 views on her video showing the "cheese trap" in many supermarkets.
"If you're buying cheese in Malaysia, be aware to not fall into the trap," she said in her video.
She explained that all cheese in Malaysia is "super expensive", hence, it is important to know the difference between the substitutes and the authentic ones when paying the price.
Aga said that there are several types of cheese that often have highly processed versions in grocery stores, which differ significantly from the authentic cheeses she is familiar with
She explained that mozzarella is typically a wet cheese that is soaked in liquid. However, many types of mozzarella available in stores come shredded or in blocks.
"[These] will most likely contain additives to keep their shape and they taste nothing like a fresh white ball of mozzarella," she explained.
She also pointed out that buying a real block of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano is often more affordable than buying a bag of pre-shredded parmesan, which may not be genuine.
"And avoid [shredded cheeses] that have confusing names, they are just a mix of different hard cheeses, and not real Parmigiano," she said.
Aga also emphasised being mindful of packaging, highlighting that many Greek-style packaged cheeses are merely cubes of generic white cheese rather than real feta.
"Also, avoid buying cheese that are individually wrapped, as they are often just highly processed cheese-like produce."
Aga told SAYS she hopes that her TikTok would help others navigate the type of cheese they'd like to eat
"I grew up eating cheese every day as cheese is a staple product in Poland, and even Italian or French cheese is affordable compared to the prices in Malaysia," said the expatriate, who has been living in Kuala Lumpur for eight years now.
"So, whenever I buy cheese here (in Malaysia), I want to make sure it's worth its crazy high price and I thought other people might appreciate tips on what to buy and what to avoid to get the best quality," she further explained the reason behind her video.
"If you want to enjoy cheese, look for the ones that come from their places of origin, such as mozzarella and parmesan has to be from Italy, feta from Greece, and Camembert from France — that's always the safe bet at getting real cheese," she added.
