A casual conversation between friends has unexpectedly ignited a wave of online debate over one of Southeast Asia’s most beloved dishes — nasi goreng.
In a now-viral video posted on X, an Indonesian woman asked her Jordanian friend to name his favourite dish. Expecting an answer close to home, she was visibly surprised when he confidently replied, “nasi lemak and nasi goreng,” crediting Malaysia for both.
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When she pointed out that nasi goreng originated in Indonesia, he didn’t argue the history — but he also didn’t budge on his preference.
“Just accept it, Malaysia is better,” he said coolly, wrapping up the exchange with a line that had viewers both laughing and debating in the comments.
The woman tried several times to make her point, reiterating the dish’s origins, but the man stood firm. “While the dish may not have originated in Malaysia,” he explained, “I still preferred the way it tasted there.”
Malaysian netizens were quick to jump into the comments, proudly backing the Jordanian’s bold claim.
“Suddenly, nasi goreng is from Indonesia. Nasi goreng can’t really be claimed by anyone since it’s a worldwide dish found in every country. But as usual, Indonesians love to claim it,” one user called @kaukoyakketu commented.
“That Jordanian guy looked super annoyed with her. But his reply was spot on!” LEON wrote.
