MALAYSIA’S roti canai is ranked as the best bread in the world according to the online travel guide Taste Atlas. This guide promotes traditional food worldwide. Roti canai and the pandebono from Colombia tied for first place with a ranking of 4.9, making them the highest-rated breads globally in September 2023. Several other breads made it to the top 10, including butter garlic naan from India, nan-e barbari from Iran, baguette from France, piadina romagnola from Romania, and pan de yuca from Colombia.
Hussein Ibrahim, the secretary-general of the Johor Indian Muslim Entrepreneurs Association (Perusim), commented that despite the recognition, finding roti canai makers remains challenging for Mamak restaurants, which specialize in roti canai. Hussein explained that since the borders between Malaysia and Singapore reopened on April 1, 2022, restaurants faced difficulties hiring roti canai makers.
Hussein stated that many roti canai makers had been patiently waiting for the borders to reopen during the pandemic, intending to cross over into Singapore and work at eateries that sell roti canai, or roti parata as it is known in Singapore. In Johor Baru, the daily wage for a roti canai maker ranges from RM80 to RM90. However, despite the good pay for those who lack academic achievement, locals are not interested in taking up this job.
Malaysia’s roti canai has been named the best bread in the world by the online travel guide Taste Atlas.
According to Hussein, a roti canai maker working at a hawker center in Singapore earns S$50 (RM171) per day. Experienced roti canai makers at Indian restaurants in Singapore can command between S$70 and S$100 (RM240 and RM343).
Hussein added that the majority of roti canai makers in Singapore are Malaysians because both Singaporeans and Malaysians have little interest in this job. In Johor Baru, roti canai makers in Mamak restaurants work split shifts from 4:30am to 10am and 5pm to 2am. Their sole responsibility is making the bread. Unlike before, most restaurants now purchase ready-made roti canai dough from suppliers in Johor Baru instead of making it themselves.
Hussein further explained that the dough only needs to be kneaded, turning it into plain roti or roti canai variations like roti canai with onions, eggs, or sardines, based on customer requests. Roti canai will continue to be a staple for Mamak restaurants in Malaysia since it can be consumed throughout the day.
Mohd Razul Agil, the proprietor of Warung Agil Roti Canai Kampung Pasir in Johor Baru, mentioned that he pays around RM70 daily for a new roti canai maker and RM80 for an experienced one. Unlike in the past, roti canai makers no longer have to knead the dough by hand, as a machine performs this task now.
Mohd Razul noted that it is challenging to find experienced roti canai makers, so he is currently training his beverage preparation staff to also make roti canai. He stated that typically, it takes a new recruit one to two months to master the art of making roti canai. His stall uses about 25kg of flour daily to make roti canai.
Although they also sell other dishes like soto, lontong, mee goreng, mee hoon goreng, and nasi lemak, roti canai remains their best-selling item. Mohd Razul believes that offering a wide range of gravies or curries to accompany roti canai sets his stall apart from nearby roti canai vendors. Some of the available curries include beef, mutton, fish, chicken, dhal, and sardine.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
