You think roti canai is Malaysian. The name says otherwise.
The name
Say the second word out loud. Canai. Now say Chennai. Many people believe the bread is named after the city on India's south-east coast. Others say canai is a Malay word for rolling dough flat. Both stories point the same way. The dough came from somewhere else.
Where it began
The bread arrived with Tamil Muslim migrants during British rule. They cooked for a living. Their stalls spread through Penang and Melaka. The bread stuck.
One bread, many homes
Here is the twist. In India, nobody calls it roti canai. The bread that left became a new thing where it landed. That is how most food in this region works. It is shared. It moved with people.
From stall to breakfast table
Today the mamak stall is where Malaysia eats breakfast. Roti canai comes with dhal or curry, torn by hand. Singapore knows the same bread as roti prata. Same dough, another name.
More than a bread
Every roti canai carries a migration. Read the name. It tells you where to look.
Source: Taste, "How Indian roti became Malaysia's national bread."