ID :
48211
Sat, 02/28/2009 - 18:48
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/48211
The shortlink copeid
PAVING WAY FOR MALAYSIA'S FOOD EXPORT DRIVE
NEW YORK, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian food fest in the United Nations, which is ending here on Monday, has not only highlighted Malaysia as a tourist destination with diverse cuisine culture but also boosted the country's food export drive.
The ongoing food fest was aimed at popularising Malaysian cuisine and has
raised awareness of the international community, particularly mainstream
Americans, about Malaysia's food culture.
In organising the event, the Representative group of Malaysian women, led by
Amy Hamidon, the wife of Malaysia's permanent representative to the United
Nations, also helped to promote Malaysian food products.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), the country's
trade promotion arm, has been making efforts to increase food exports to the
United States, Malaysia's biggest overseas market.
Wan Latiff Wan Musa, Malaysia's trade commissioner in New York, recently
told Bernama that the country had identified its processed food products as a
category that is inherent with "great potential" for business in the US.
Indian grocery stores, which cater not only to the increasingly wealthy and
cash-rich Indian community but also to South Asian and Arab nationals, are
proliferating in the country.
Almost all Indian grocery stores stock food products that include
Malaysia-made paratha, roti and other products such as chicken curry. Indeed,
Malaysian food products are competing quite well with similar products from
India, the United Kingdom and the US.
"We are going to aggressively court Indian and Arab stores for our products
which are already well-known among the Chinese grocery stores," Wan Latiff said.
Matrade's New York office is planning to organise its own trade show of
Malaysian food products at a hotel where US-based food importers will be invited
to meet Malaysian exporters.
The Malaysian food fest event has made Matrade's job easier by attracting
huge crowds at the United Nations and giving them exposure to Malaysian cuisine.
The Representative ladies provided support to the team of six chefs flown in
from Malaysia to plan, organise and prepare the food for a large army of guests,
averaging about 300 a day, at the spacious United Nations dining room.
The crowd on Friday swelled to 400, according to celebrity chefs Ismail
Ahmed and Florence Tan, both of whom were also providing explanations to the
guests at the buffet tables laden with Malaysian delicacies.
Ismail said the government should set up an "authentic" Malaysian restaurant
in New York which would also help promote tourism and trade in a big way.
Besides Ismail and Tan, the other Malaysian chefs at the event were Amy Koh,
Rahilah Bey, Nordin Ahmad and Marina Sharib.
All of them were unanimous in their assessment that America is an attractive
market for Malaysia's food products.
"They love exotic food, as is also evident from the proliferating numbers of
Asian restaurants in the city. Malaysian restaurants would be successful here,"
said one of them.
The ongoing food fest was aimed at popularising Malaysian cuisine and has
raised awareness of the international community, particularly mainstream
Americans, about Malaysia's food culture.
In organising the event, the Representative group of Malaysian women, led by
Amy Hamidon, the wife of Malaysia's permanent representative to the United
Nations, also helped to promote Malaysian food products.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), the country's
trade promotion arm, has been making efforts to increase food exports to the
United States, Malaysia's biggest overseas market.
Wan Latiff Wan Musa, Malaysia's trade commissioner in New York, recently
told Bernama that the country had identified its processed food products as a
category that is inherent with "great potential" for business in the US.
Indian grocery stores, which cater not only to the increasingly wealthy and
cash-rich Indian community but also to South Asian and Arab nationals, are
proliferating in the country.
Almost all Indian grocery stores stock food products that include
Malaysia-made paratha, roti and other products such as chicken curry. Indeed,
Malaysian food products are competing quite well with similar products from
India, the United Kingdom and the US.
"We are going to aggressively court Indian and Arab stores for our products
which are already well-known among the Chinese grocery stores," Wan Latiff said.
Matrade's New York office is planning to organise its own trade show of
Malaysian food products at a hotel where US-based food importers will be invited
to meet Malaysian exporters.
The Malaysian food fest event has made Matrade's job easier by attracting
huge crowds at the United Nations and giving them exposure to Malaysian cuisine.
The Representative ladies provided support to the team of six chefs flown in
from Malaysia to plan, organise and prepare the food for a large army of guests,
averaging about 300 a day, at the spacious United Nations dining room.
The crowd on Friday swelled to 400, according to celebrity chefs Ismail
Ahmed and Florence Tan, both of whom were also providing explanations to the
guests at the buffet tables laden with Malaysian delicacies.
Ismail said the government should set up an "authentic" Malaysian restaurant
in New York which would also help promote tourism and trade in a big way.
Besides Ismail and Tan, the other Malaysian chefs at the event were Amy Koh,
Rahilah Bey, Nordin Ahmad and Marina Sharib.
All of them were unanimous in their assessment that America is an attractive
market for Malaysia's food products.
"They love exotic food, as is also evident from the proliferating numbers of
Asian restaurants in the city. Malaysian restaurants would be successful here,"
said one of them.
