MALAYSIA'S KITCHEN PROGRAMMES CAN BE USED FOR FOOD DIPLOMACY

By Manik Mehta

NEW YORK, MAY 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) must be lauded for popularising Malaysian food through its much-publicised Malaysian Kitchen Programme which has entered into its second year.

But, Malaysia can also benefit by studying the success stories of other Asian countries which not only export food but also use it for what is known as "food diplomacy".

The response to Malaysia's Kitchen Programme in the New York/New Jersey region has been quite positive judging from local media and public reaction.

Matrade's initiative is primarily to increase Malaysia's food exports by generating demand for its ingredients and spices.

However, this initiative can also be used as a diplomacy tool.

It was Amy Hamidon, wife of Malaysia's former permanent representative to the United Nations, Hamidon Ali, who tried to popularise Malaysian food at various fora, including the United Nations, where she held a number of food-related events where "the whole world came to eat".

Malaysia has made a "Johnny-come-late" entry into the world of food
diplomacy which, implicitly, conveys the art of using popular food dishes to promote national interest in a foreign land.

Other Asian countries are doing this successfully and Malaysia could learn from their success stories.

Nowhere are the efforts by other Asian countries more visible than in New York which has become not only a melting pot of races but also of their cuisines, from Ethiopia and Mauritius through India and Afghanistan to France and Italy.

Malaysia could learn the art of adapting its cuisine to local tastes and palates.

Take the example of the ubiquitous Indian cuisine. Officially, there are more than 200 Indian restaurants in New York City but, unofficially, there are an estimated 300 over restaurants plus another 100 or odd "mobile restaurants" or food trucks that hawk food at corners of the city.

Indeed, the whiff of curry and tandoori chicken is as common as that of burgers and pizzas in this city or the roasted ducks displayed in windows of Chinese restaurants.

Besides ready-to-eat "Samosas", which is a stuffed pastry triangular in shape with a savoury filling, a variety of "thosai" is making their appearance in American supermarkets.

The surprising factor is that one also increasingly gets to see Malaysian "parathas", believe it or not, being made by Indian suppliers in the United States), not only in Indian supermarkets but also in the mainstream ones.

Malaysia, which has been highlighting the Indian cuisine as part of its culinary culture, can build on this attribute to sell such products for which India has already done the groundwork.

There is wisdom in the adage that diplomacy also operates to convey cultural ideals and values of one country to foreign audiences.

Food diplomacy, as an extension, relies on culinary delights to arouse and stimulate the world's appetite, refurbish a nation's image and create what modern marketers describe as "brand awareness".

India, China, Japan, Thailand and even Vietnam have been reaping the rewards of their food diplomacy.

Even the culturally bland Singaporeans have forayed into the realm of food diplomacy.

Singapore regularly organises food demonstrations in various night
markets, an approach Malaysia recently also took by participating in the LuckyRice Festival night market in Brooklyn, New York, on May 4.

Adapting culinary products to local tastes is also equally important for success.

For instance, the frequently-used term "vegetarian burger" was coined, according to some experts, by Indian food providers who saw the growing number of vegetarians in the United States as an opportunity to market burgers.

Indian and many mainstream American supermarkets widely sell "vegetarian burgers".
-- BERNAMA