HULU LANGAT, May 6 — The state government’s focus on gastronomy as part of the creative economy could help centre traditional cuisine from other states, said Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Assoc Prof Hishamudin Isam.
He said the move is in line with Selangor’s status as a focal migration point, which allows residents to promote their respective heritage food.
“Selangor is like a jewel of Malaysia; the meeting point of many people of various (areas), so this state isn’t just for Selangoreans, but is open to people from any state.
“They could introduce their traditional food here. This gives Selangor an edge as gastronomy development could centre local traditional food as well as that from other states,” he told Media Selangor.
Hishamudin was speaking as a panellist at the third National Gastronomy Seminar (SEGEMUK III) at the Bangi Avenue Convention Centre here today.
He added that the state’s gastronomy development could become a platform to repopularise traditional food now forgotten by the younger generation.
“For example, announcing punten as a traditional Selangor (food). Actually, most don’t know this dish, and the same goes to bubur merah putih that is synonymous with the Javanese.
“When focus is given to gastronomy, we can reintroduce (foods like these) and help traders generate income by selling these traditional dishes,” he explained.
Last year, the state government launched the Selangor Creative Economy Action Plan 2025-2035, which emphasises multimedia, heritage, and cultural arts, so the industry may eventually contribute RM20 billion to the national gross domestic product.
Selangor Youth Community (SAY) chief executive officer Aiman Syafiq Nazri had said the gastronomy industry would be developed in Kuala Selangor.
