‘Citrarasa Sabah’ bazaar promotes local cuisine

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s ethnic delicacies, including the “butod” (live sago worms), were given special showcase to the public at the State-level Citrarasa Sabah food bazaar, here, Friday.

The programme, which is one of four held in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, is the first held at State level, organised jointly by the Malaysian Tourism and Culture Ministry and the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry.

When launching the event, State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said Sabah, which has about 32 to 35 different ethnic groups, has a huge number of local delicacies.

“Each of the ethnic groups may have their own delicacies,” he said.

He said despite Sabah not having world-renowned dishes like Penang Laksa or Penang Kueh Teow (a type of fried noodles), it is home to the Butod.

He noted that no other places in Malaysia except Sabah have a delicacy of live sago worms.

“No one should feel ashamed of this heritage,” he said, adding that the city itself has no specific venue to taste the local dishes.

“Visitors have approached me before on where they can get to taste the local food…but there is none here in the city,” he lamented.

Masidi suggested that a food fair be held every month to showcase the local food, naming KK Times Square as the best spot to hold such event.

Earlier, the Malaysian Tourism and Culture Ministry Deputy Chief Secretary, Rashidi Hasbullah, revealed Sabah was the pilot State to hold the Citrarasa Sabah event, after its nationwide launching in Kuala Lumpur previously.

“This is one of the ways how the visitors can understand the culture of Sabahans,” he said.

Among those present at the event were Tourism, Culture and Environment Deputy Ministers Datuk Kamarlin Ombi and Datuk Pang Yuk Ming, City Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir and Luyang (Independent) Assemblyman Hiew King Chew.

Some 22 government agencies and private sectors are taking part in the food fair, which offers a variety of local food delicacies, which will end tomorrow (Sunday).

Source: Daily Express