KUCHING: Sarawak laksa, kolo mee, burasak, Bugis’ borongko as well as the Kelabit’s nuba laya, have all been proposed as unique national heritage, said Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, once designated, these Sarawak delicacies would join nine other Sarawak historical dishes that were already well-known among locals as part of the country’s national heritage.
The nine dishes included manok pansuh, umai, bubur pedas Sarawak, sayur midin goreng, kek lapis Sarawak, kelupis, tebaloi, celorot and penyaram.
Nancy added her ministry was promoting historical culinary culture by recognising and documenting locally unique foods as national heritage under the National Heritage Act 2005.
“A total of 213 cuisines in the country have been declared as national heritage foods,” she said when she officiated the 2022 Malaysian Food Festival in Petra Jaya here, yesterday.
She also mentioned the emphasis on heritage foods and ‘endangered’ foods research, documentation as well as book development as another area of focus.
Elaborating further, Nancy said through the Department of National Heritage (JWN), the ministry has issued over six publications on national heritage dishes in order to help preserve them and inspire the younger generation to learn how to prepare them.
“In addition, through JWN, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will nominate the categories of Malaysia Breakfast in 2024 and Festive Food in 2026,” she explained.
According to Nancy, the Malaysia Breakfast category will include foods such as roti canai, nasi lemak and teh tarik, while the Festive Food category will include delicacies such as lemang, kuih bakul and chittu urunde, which are popular among Malaysian families during festivals.
