Malacca - The Museum Complex concourse in Jalan Kota here was turned into a heritage food bazaar where members of the public savoured kuih koci and spicy asam pedas dishes.
More than 500 locals and tourists made their way to the venue to try the traditional delicacies while enjoying a view of the historical monuments.
The well-known kuih koci and asam pedas dishes were prepared at a cooking competition held during the month-long celebration in conjunction with Malacca`s recent inscription as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The two-day event was organised by Malacca Museum Corporation and the competition garnered a good response. A total of 18 and 28 teams took part in the Kuih Koci and Asam Pedas categories respectively.
The participants arrived as early 8am all geared for the competition. They brought utensils such as claypots, woks , serving dishes and decorations including condiments freshly bought from the market.
Among the competitors was local makeup artist Ruslan Jantan (fondly known as Becky) from Ayer Keroh, who flaunted a secret asam pedas recipe handed down by his grandmother.
The 43-year-old said, besides the recipe, he brought his faithful claypot to prepare the dish.
He said the fragrance and taste of the dish was significantly different when cooked in a claypot compared to a steel wok.
He impressed the judges and emerged as champion while Kamisah Ashari bagged the first prize in the kuih koci category.
Rajah St Rajah Jan, 56, from Kampung Chetty in Gajah Berang, presented his version of the kueh koci decorated and scented with bunga telang, a local spice.
His sister Sita Pillay, 60, said that kuih koci was a mouth-watering delicacy enjoyed by everyone, especially during tea-break.
She felt happy to present the delicacy at the competition.
Judge Raman Abu Samah, who is Adabi`s chief chef, said the participants enjoyed themselves by tasting others` dishes and exchanging cooking tips.
“They did well and brought out a lot of variety in terms of taste and presentation,” he said.
British tourist Claire Garrett and her Australian partner Steve Glover were surprised by the unique contest and enjoyed the food-tasting session.
Garrett, 41, who likes spicy and flavourful food, gave two thumbs up for the mackerel fish asam pedas served with white rice.
She regarded the meal as one of the best she has savoured in Malaysia.
The 34-year-old Glover said: “We are all for Malaysian food and this is simply marvellous.” ALLISON LAI
Source: http://thestar.com.my (September 02, 2008)
