Roti bakar facts for kids
A plate of roti bakar, with butter on the left slice, peanut butter and kaya on the right slice.
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| Alternative names | Roti kahwin |
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| Type | Toast |
| Region or state | Maritime Southeast Asia |
Roti bakar (lit. "grilled bread") refers to toast, usually prepared with grilled white bread, in both the Indonesian and Malay languages. The dish is a popular breakfast food as well as tea time snack in countries like Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Historically, roti bakar was grilled or toasted by using charcoal as a heat source in many communities throughout the region, though this practice has dwindled with the advent of modern technology.
Common spreads for roti bakar include sugar, margarine, butter, peanut butter, and kaya.
Variants
Indonesia
In Indonesia, roti bakar is usually prepared as a sandwich of grilled white bread with a filling, consumed both as a light breakfast and a common street food. Roti bakar was developed during the era of Dutch colonial rule as a practical way to consume day-old bread; it was typically served with butter, condensed milk, or Dutch cheeses. After Indonesian independence, roti bakar became ubiquitous throughout Indonesia, as consumption of toast became a matter of taste for its people as opposed to the practicality of avoiding the wastage of stale bread.
Many flavor variants have been developed for modern tastes, such as hagelslag, crushed Oreo biscuits, or chocolate syrup.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, kaya and cold butter are a popular combination to spread on roti bakar. When prepared in this same manner, it is considered to be identical to the Singaporean kaya toast.
The city of Ipoh in Perak is known for its kopitiam establishments, where roti bakar accompanied with local tea or coffee beverages and a serving of half boiled eggs is a staple order during morning or afternoon tea.
A variation on roti bakar is roti titab, a thick warm toast with kaya spread onto all four corners and topped with a half-boiled egg.
