Rojak, not your ordinary food...

Unless you’ve been living out of Malaysia, otherwise you have probably come across the food Rojak about a gazillion times before.

So, what is Rojak?







Rojak as the name suggest-varieties!
It has got a mixture of fruits, vegetables, nuts, less commonly meat and they are all dressed up with paste. The ingredients differ from vendors to vendors. Typically, ingredients like guava, cucumber, pineapple, turnip, bean sprouts, puffy deep-fried tauhu and Chinese dough fritters are used in Rojak-making. As for dressings, they can be either prawn paste, tamarind or black bean paste.

How are they made?

It is very simple. Firstly, the ingredients are cut into small bite-sized portions. Then, they’re tossed in a bowl with the dressings and lastly topped with chopped peanuts and a dash of finely chopped ginger bud to add flavors to the Rojak.

What is the Nutritional value of Rojak?

Table 1.1 Recommended Nutrient Intakes
(M= Male ; F= Female)


Table 1.2 Nutritional Composition of Rojak

(Nutriweb)

“Oh no! I only consumed three plates of Rojak and that nearly surpassed my recommended calories intake per day!!” Said the disappointed glutton :( :(


*Average energy allowance for an average person: 2500kcal/day

Rojak, typically, has over contributed the desired fat and carbohydrate consumption for a day, especially to the fat components. Referring the recommended nutritional intake table 1.1, a plate of Rojak (fat= 51.2g) has already reached the recommended fat intakes for a day (RNI fat=54-82g for male; 46-70g for female)!

Ingredients in Rojak like the Chinese dough fritters is not healthy as they contain lots of carbohydrate plus the repeating usage of the same oils can undergo hydrogenation and thus convert the oil to the oil that apparently contains lots of undesirable trans-fatty acids! This, undoubtedly, can give rise to the blood cholesterol levels. Excessive oils from the fried fritters can also contribute to the total recommended fat value per day.

Apart from that, prawn paste is advisable to use in limitation because it is a fermented raw meat that is preserved by an intense amount of salt. Excessive consumption of salt can lead to harmful health effects, for instance hypertension. Furthermore, if the prawn paste is not well-preserved and lack of quality maintenance, it can then induce undesirable spoilage due to the increased of microbial loads.

While for peanuts, not only they will give abundance of calories, on one hand, they can trigger fatal allergic reactions for certain individuals with peanut allergy! All of these are the downsides of Rojak.

“I can’t live without eating Rojak, Ms. Nutri! How can I still be eating Rojak but to stay within the appropriate limit?! “Said the glutton, still is disappointed :(

Due to the raising of health awareness amongst the public, there’s a need to improve the quality of Rojak! A healthier plate of Rojak generally can be achieved by increasing the fiber consumption and reducing the fat and carbohydrate consumption.

This can be done by cutting down the intakes of Chinese dough fritters .Besides, it is better to fry the fritters with hydrogenated polyunsaturated vegetables oils, olive oil, that is, for greater health benefits.

Additionally, prawn paste’s dressing can creatively added with honey, and as all may know, honey is benefiting and has therapeutic effects to the body.

Apart from that, fruits and vegetables are the ingredients in Rojak that are supposed to increase in consumption. For instance, Guava, being rich in Vitamins A and C, contains antioxidant pigments of carotenoids and polyphenols, giving them relatively high dietary antioxidant value. They are also especially high in dietary fiber contents.

In addition, vegetables like cucumber gives abundance of physiological benefits to the body, too! They have a variety of benefiting minerals and acids, minerals like silica, a trace mineral that can strengthen our connective tissue. Acids like ascorbic and caffeine acids can prevent water retention and therefore helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.

Pineapple, on the other hand, is rich in calcium, manganese, bromelain, and fiber. Thus, pineapple can help to strengthen our bones and tissues. In addition, Pineapple helps in the digestion of protein and prevents blood clot formation due to bromelain content present in it.

Tauhu is low in calories and they contain beneficial amounts of iron and have no saturated fat or cholesterol. On the basis of a research, by PTI in 1998, filed a petition with food and drug administration for a health claim that soy protein may reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, the FDA granted this health claim for soy: "25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

So, it is advisable to add more fruits and vegetables to the consumption of Rojak to counter with the unhealthy ingredients that is present in it.


“ Wow, thanks for the wonderful advice, Ms.Nutri! I may now indulge in Rojak within the proportion without leaving any regrets and worries after that!” – said the elated glutton. :D


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References
• Acadiana Soy Products, 2009. Tofu-What it is. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 25th February 2009]

• FAMA, 2007. Agrobased Products. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 25th February 2009]

• Hubpages, 2009. Health Benefits of Cucumber. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 25th February 2009]

• Levine, T. B., and Levine A. B., 2006. Metabolic Syndrome Cardiovascular Disease. Elsevier Health Sciences. Pg.388.

• Livestrong.com., 2007. Chinese Fruit Rojak. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 25th February 2009]

• Living Healthy Life, 2009. Health Benefits of Pineapple. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 25th February2009]

• Nutriweb Malaysia, 2001. Nutrition Composition. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 21th February 2009]

• Streetdirectory.com., 2009. Singapore Foods-Rojak. [Online] Available from:[Accessed 25th February 2009]