Terengganu PMR 2025 Treats Visitors To A Spread Of Ethnic Delicacies

By Lucia Terey Anak Johan

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 11 (Bernama) -- Visitors to the MADANI Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025 in Terengganu are savouring a unique taste of Malaysia’s culinary heritage, with traditional ethnic delicacies from Sabah, Sarawak and the Indian community taking centre stage.

“Would you like to try this? This is kuih pinjaram, a traditional treat from Sabah,” said Nur Ardinie Rania Hishammuddin, a volunteer at the National Unity Ministry (KPN) booth.

Dressed in traditional Dusun attire, Nur Ardinie Rania and three fellow volunteers took turns approaching visitors, offering samples of various kuih (delicacies ranging from sweets to savoury treats or snacks) while explaining their ingredients and cultural roots.

“We usually invite visitors over and give a short explanation about the kuih so they know a bit more about their background, since many of them have probably never seen these before.

“For example, kuih pinjaram is made from rice flour, corn flour, coconut milk, and oil,” she said when met by Bernama at the KPN booth today.

Among the ethnic and traditional delicacies introduced to visitors were amplang, Sarawak layer cake, putu mayam, kole kacang, kuih taming sari, cara gula, lok lik, mooncake, kuih kacang, pau, jala emas, akok, and kuih bakar.

KPN booth coordinator P. Venukanna said the initiative to showcase ethnic delicacies from Sabah, Sarawak, and the Indian community was aimed at introducing unique culinary offerings from outside Peninsular Malaysia to the people of Terengganu

He said while Malay and Chinese food were commonly available in the state, dishes from other communities were rarely featured in large-scale public events.

“So we bring them directly to the people. Everything is halal and suitable for everyone. Tasting them helps build understanding and gives locals a chance to learn about other cultures,” he said.

He also expressed hope that the initiative would inspire more people to try other ethnic recipes at home or serve them during special occasions.

One of the visitors to the KPN booth, Asmah Yusof, 53, from Kampung Losong Datuk Amar, said she had never tasted kuih pinjaram before and found its flavour intriguing.

“It tastes a bit like kuih topi that we make with glutinous rice flour, sugar, and egg, but this one’s chewier and creamier. It’s interesting; I never knew Sabah had a kuih similar to ours,” she said.

For Hannah Mohd Nor, 24, a student at the International Islamic University Malaysia in Kuantan, seeing the Sarawak layer cake at the booth brought back fond memories of her time in the state.

“I lived in Sarawak for seven years because my parents worked there, but since moving back here, I’ve found it hard to get Sarawakian food.

“It’s nice that they’re introducing it here; who knows, maybe one day there’ll be a dedicated place selling Sarawak food,” she said.

A similar approach was taken at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) booth, where visitors were offered vadai, a savoury Indian snack not commonly found in Terengganu.

Visitors also had the chance to try boiled cassava with sambal and grated coconut, a once-common dish now seldom known among the younger generation.

According to National Heritage Department deputy heritage commissioner Ruzairy Arbi, both dishes were among 213 delicacies gazetted as national heritage food but remain relatively unfamiliar to the wider public.

“We purposely selected dishes from outside Terengganu to give visitors a chance to sample traditional food from other ethnicities and states,” he said.

--BERNAMA