Food diplomacy refers to the use of food culture as a tool to strengthen relationships between a nation and its people, as well as other nations. It involves the exchange of traditional foods, unique dishes, and eating practices that reflect the cultural uniqueness of each country.
FOOD CULTURE
Every country posesses different attractions, and one of them is the diversity of food culture that belongs to its people. Food is categorised in the realm of social practices and community knowledge, representing a unique cultural manifestation that is learned and inherited by various ethnic groups and communities, either directly or indirectly.
Food has a high tendency to easily influence the general public. Therefore, food, including traditional heritage foods, is highly suitable to be used as an instrument, not only to create social interactions within a community, but also as a means to strengthen diplomatic relationships among many countries. At the national level, food has become a symbol of unity in the multi-ethnic society that shares the same menu and food such as nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik and various cake or sweet.
CULTURAL UNITY THROUGH REGIONAL FOOD HERITAGE
Its cultural diversity and uniqueness make Malaysia an exemplary nation in terms of unity and social harmony. Therefore, the Ministry recognises that the practice of sharing cultural heritage among countries can serve as a foundation to strengthen diplomatic relationships, and this mechanism can be implemented through food diplomacy. This is because the food culture embraced by societies differs from one country to another.
The differences in food culture are influenced by various factors, including the origin of the food itself. It can be either a creation of the local indigenous population, or a result of the arrival or migration of external communities. Additionally, processes such as socialisation, amalgamation, acculturation, and assimilation play a role in shaping the culinary heritage, leading to the emergence of culturally related practices.
Moreover, the geographical proximity of neighbouring countries also contributes to the shared similarities in food culture. It is not surprising to find that some of the foods found in Malaysia are also present in other regional countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, China and others.
FOOD DIPLOMACY AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
At the international level, Malaysia has utilised UNESCO as a platform to showcase the unique cultural heritage of its regional community. Therefore, Malaysia has the opportunity to realise relations in food diplomacy involving numerous countries, through the intangible heritage recognition programmes established by the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO, which Malaysia has ratified since in 2013. The primary objective of this convention is to safeguard the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills of the intangible cultural heritage of communities or groups.
Under this Convention, a joint or multi-nomination mechanism involving other countries can be implemented if elements of the heritage are also found in those countries. Malaysia has already taken initiatives in this regard, successfully listing the Pantun (a form of traditional Malay poetry) jointly with Indonesia and the Wangkang Ceremony (a traditional Chinese festival) jointly with China in the year 2020. Additionally, Malaysia has submitted a nomination for the kebaya (a traditional Malay attire) involving the participation of Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, and Singapore, which will be evaluated in the year 2024. It is also entirely possible for Malaysia to nominate heritage related to food in collaboration with other regional countries in the future.
The Ministry recognises that embracing and celebrating cultural differences is essential for societies in every country to thrive and prosper. Therefore, the multi-nomination approach can strengthen and foster bilateral diplomatic relations between countries, contributing to social unity and encouraging a sense of shared responsibility in preserving cultural practices. Additionally, adhering to the spirit of the convention, which emphasises respect and recognition of existing cultures in other countries, the multi-nomination mechanism can prevent potential disputes over ownership and authenticity of cultural heritage.
Food diplomacy brings its own benefits. Apart from connecting one society to others internationally, through food, foreign communities can gain a closer understanding of the culture, policies, political systems, and social relationships existing within a particular country. It also creates opportunities to promote food through strategic marketing collaborations from various perspectives.
Through food diplomacy, comprehensive development in the field of culinary expertise can be achieved, further empowering the level of local wisdom within societies involving professionals and intellectuals from the region, including food experts, academics, and other stakeholders. A lot of international cooperation programmes related to food can be implemented including book publishing, international conferences, exhibitions and so on.
FOOD DIPLOMACY INITIATIVES
1. The Malaysia-Azerbaijan Culture Festival (FBMA)
This festival was held from 8 – 20 September 2015, with the aim of introducing Malaysia’s art, culture, and heritage to Azerbaijan, as well as promoting the tourism sectors of both countries. The National Heritage Department was involved in coordinating sessions of selected heritage food demonstrations, which included roti canai (Indian-influenced flatbread), teh tarik (pulled tea), and apam balik (traditional folded pancake). In addition to the demonstrations, various heritage foods were distributed to the attendees, such as coconut candies, sagun (traditional sweet treat), dodol Melaka (a type of sweet toffee), kerepek pisang tanduk (banana chips), kerepek bawang (onion crisps), kerepek ubi masin (salted tapioca chips), kuih ros (a traditional cookie), and kek lapis Sarawak (Sarawak layer cake).
ASEAN Workshop on Sustainable Heritage Food Packaging and Commercialisation for The World Market
This workshop was held on 12-16 June 2023 at Universiti Putra Malaysia. A total of 9 ASEAN countries namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines participated in this programme. The contents of the programme included a paper presentation session, demonstrations of packaged heritage foods from ASEAN countries, an exhibition, a round table discussion, as well as a cultural visit to the state of Melaka. Among the main topics discussed in this programme were related to the safeguarding plan, preservation and the commercialisation of heritage food for the world market. The programme, themed “Globalising ASEAN Heritage Food,” involved the participation of 300 workshop participants consisting of academics, students from public and private universities, food industry players, NGOs, gastronomy experts, culinary practitioners, as well as representatives of departments/agencies under MOTAC and other ministries.
