KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are a fortunate lot as the country is home to hundreds of delicious traditional foods.
Ondeh-ondeh, sata, putu piring, lemang, pajeri, gulai tempoyak, otak-otak, pekasam and nasi kerabu are only a few of the delicious traditional foods that Malaysians get to enjoy, each originating from the different states and cultures that make up Malaysia.
Some of these foods are still served during festive seasons and special ceremonies. Some are even produced commercially.
A lot of it, however, are slowly disappearing from the local menu due to changing times and evolving palates. It is no surprise that many from the younger generation have not even heard of these foods that were once a favourite of their great grandparents’.
The National Heritage Department (JWN) has, to date, declared 213 foods to be traditional foods under Act 645 of the National Heritage Act 2005 to ensure that these foods remain a part of Malaysian culture and continue to be enjoyed by the current and future generations.
JWN Deputy Director General Mohamad Muda Bahadin said that ketupat sotong, nasi minyak and nasi dagang were among the food included in the list.
“This act provides for the conservation and preservation of National Heritage, natural heritage, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, underwater cultural heritage, treasure trove and related matters,” he told Bernama.
JWN defines heritage as what is inherited by the previous generation. It is described as a national treasure that was, or is, owned by a community or people, and thus it become a collective responsibility to protect and preserve it.
Heritage food can be considered as part of a culture that needs to be preserved so that it can be enjoyed and appreciated by the generations to come.
Muda said that JWN has travelled across the nation to seek out housewives, entrepreneurs and those from the older generation who were still producing these heritage foods.
“Our researchers and officers have conducted studies and created an inventory of traditional foods passed down from our ancestors and have now become part of the identity of a people.
“Details of these heritage foods such as the name, photos, videos, methods of creation, storage, preparation and the festivals or occasions related with it are all recorded,” Muda explained.
He said tourists and the public are introduced to traditional foods through demonstrations on its preparations, official government events and sales through other government departments and agencies.
One such occasion was during the 2019 National Craft Day celebration where JWN organised cooking demonstrations of several national heritage foods.
“Among them were the ketupat dakap, which was a sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, the ketupat palas, a sticky rice wrapped in palas leaves and steamed, pulut kuning, lopes and buah Melaka.
These cooking demonstrations were a hit with visitors,” he said.
Muda said that every ethnic group in Malaysia has their own heritage food, most of which are now enjoyed by all Malaysians.
“Nasi lemak, for example, was originally a breakfast food of ethnic Malays.
“Today, it is a food loved by all ethnicities and enjoyed not only for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner as well,” he said.
Chinese favourites such as dim sum, mee and kuey teow are also now beloved by Malaysians of all ethnicities.
Foods popular among the ethnicities of Sabah and Sarawak such as umai, linut and manok pansuh are also becoming increasingly popular nationwide, indirectly contributing towards social unity.
(Umai is a dish of sliced raw fish with a mixture of onions, chillies, salt and lime juice; linut – a sticky porridge made from fresh sago flour; manok pansuh – chicken cooked in bamboo).
Meanwhile, JWN’s World Heritage Division Director Mohd Syahrin Abdullah said that the department was working towards obtaining recognition for the heritage foods by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
He added that food was an intangible heritage element that could be nominated for recognition for Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003.
However, the recognition requires the fulfilment of several criteria such as ensuring the visibility and awareness of the significance of the heritage and stimulating a dialogue that reflects the cultural diversity and creative expression of the element.
Mohd Syahrin said that in order to obtain approval to the Unesco, the nomination form would first be evaluated by an Advisory Board selected by the Unesco Secretariat.
A panel of experts in intangible heritage and an appointed body, known as the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, would then examine each of the nominations before officially inscribing the candidates as elements on the list.
The committee would announce the final decision when it convenes, which usually happens in November or December every year.
“If an element is recognised as part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, we would be given a certificate signed by the Unesco Director-General,” he explained. --Bernama