Culinary milestone: Nasi Beriani Johor marks a unique heritage achievement

JOHOR BARU: The distinctive Nasi Beriani recipe of Johor, featuring 'Telur Pindang' (tea eggs) and salted chillies, has been officially recognised as a heritage food, marking a significant culinary milestone for the state.

The heritage food status for Nasi Beriani Johor was achieved through a collaborative effort led by the Yayasan Warisan Johor (YWJ), working with nine Nasi Beriani entrepreneurs hailing from three districts within the state.

This recognition firmly establishes Nasi Beriani Johor as an exclusively Johor-born dish, setting it apart from similar dishes in other regions and countries.

YWJ director Sharil Nizam Abdul Rahim shared that this unique Nasi Berani dish was the culmination of a three-day workshop, during which the nine Nasi Beriani entrepreneurs pooled their culinary expertise and distinctive recipes.

He explained, "The plan to achieve heritage food status has been in the works since last year, with collaboration efforts taking place earlier this year.

"We aimed to elevate this dish to heritage-food status because it is popular in Johor, and every district has its unique recipes.

"By collaborating all the unique flavours and recipes into one dish exclusively Johor, incorporating the culinary experiences of Nasi Beriani from all districts in the state, we finally arrived at a unanimous decision defining Nasi Beriani Johor uniquely with 'Telur Pindang' and salted chillies."

The official recognition of Nasi Beriani Johor's heritage food status was done by Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad and Retired Colonel Datuk Mohamed Perang Musa, the director of the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, during the Heritage Cuisine Seminar 2023, held at the foundation's Kompleks Warisan Sultan Abu Bakar.

In addition to Nasi Beriani Johor, YWJ has also identified various other dishes as heritage foods of the state, including Laksa Johor, Telur Pindang, Mee Rebus, Kuih Lopes, Wajik (a traditional sweet snack), and Otak-Otak (grilled fish cake wrapped in banana leaves). Sharil Nizam expressed hopes of adding Sate Muar, Pepes, and Sirap Bandung to Johor's roster of heritage foods in the future.

The state government, through YWJ, is actively working toward nominating Nasi Beriani Johor as an Intangible Heritage (Warisan Tidak Ketara) recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

This multi-stage process is expected to span for nearly five years. It will involve presentations, documentation, and evaluation.

Nasi Beriani Johor is the first Johor heritage food nominated for Unesco recognition.