TS,Tuesday 27 September, 2011
Foreigners entering Malaysia for even an overnight stay are recorded as visitors and they number close to 25 million in a year - averaging an amazing 2,854 per hour!
Apart from the large number of foreign workers, students and Singaporeans staying in private facilities and homes, the majority of foreign tourists check into hotels and patronise restaurants.
As such, the hospitality sector, which includes accommodation plus food and beverage, enjoys the lion’s share of the tourism industry, at over 50%.
Shopping, though optional, is considered a must by most tourists and if well promoted, will gobble up another 25% of the total tourism receipts in Malaysia, which will soon surpass RM55bil.
Foreign tourists are drawn to Malaysia for different reasons, but mainly they are accessibility, safety, affordability and variety. “Malaysia, truly Asia” may have been overused but it is an accurate portrayal of the variety of people and food in this country.
Many tourists will try out some local cuisine when it is not too much of a hassle, but those on extended stay will stick to their normal meals. A good example is tourists from West Asia that are here for several weeks during their summer holidays.
Therefore, the recent announcement by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to promote nasi briyani, rendang and char koay teow to the world may not tempt and lure tourists from all over the world as hoped.
These dishes are mouth-watering only to those who have enjoyed them. Similarly, how appealing can it be to Malaysians should a foreign country promote their strange sounding rice, beef and noodle dishes? It can be a turn-off upon discovering the amount of oil used.
In this modern age, many locals have access to huge varieties of cuisines from all over the world in their home country and do not need to travel far to sample them.
When they do travel, either within the country or overseas, many would like to try out the local fare to make their visit more enjoyable and meaningful.
Therefore, the tourists we can tempt and lure back are those who have enjoyed a wide variety of delicious foods in Malaysia. Word of mouth is certainly more effective than any advertisement or promotion.
However, tourists who are more health conscious would value food that is clean, fresh and cooked to order using less fat, oil, salt, sugar, preservatives, colouring, spices and artificial flavouring.
Enlightened people have learnt to enjoy the subtle flavors’ of natural foods and shun processed food, which may have a stronger taste but can be harmful and lacking in nutritional value.
Eating is the national pastime for Malaysians resulting in over 60 percent of the adult population being overweight compared to the world average of 20 percent.
Pre-cooked food served hours or days later may be common here but can cause serious trouble for tourists.
The one time I suffered food poisoning came after consuming some rendang served by a caterer at a motor showroom during the Hari Raya celebration in 2008. The purging was bad enough but nothing compared to feeling sick to the core.
Our eating habits can be a cultural shock for tourists who are more used to elegant dining. They will not get use to the din inside an air-conditioned shop-house restaurant where excited patrons speak loudly in order to be heard over the sea of voices.
While many prefer meat with bones or seafood with shells, it is not a pretty sight at the end of the meal. The bones, shells and used serviettes left on the table resemble a garbage dump.
Lack of courtesy is common when chairs are not pushed back to the table upon leaving.
Piling up the plate, gorging large amounts of food and eventual wastage, especially in banquets and publicised open houses, can have a negative effect on foreigners, particularly to concerned environmentalists.
It is common to see fruits cut or juiced left to oxidise for hours. One man’s meat can be another man’s poison.
As for myself, I enjoy dishes that are just cooked and served piping hot, including rice. The ingredients must be clean and fresh. There may be no better dish than a good river fish steamed just right for perfect texture with thin high-grade soya sauce and nothing else to mask its unique flavour
Great food can also be promoted for its nutritional and aphrodisiac value. Our common petai’s ability to lower blood pressure and stroke risk has been endorsed by the United States Food & Drug Administration.
Consuming a bowl of nourishing herbal soup at night can make a lethargic person feel very invigorated upon waking up the next morning.
People who overeat suffer from lack of nutrition, as their food is limited to only what they like. Our health is affected more by what we do not consume than what we eat. Eating in moderation and variety, including colours, are vital for good health.
Nasi briyani, rendang, char koay teow, nasi lemak, laksa and bak kut teh together with many other popular foods are all my favourite dishes but very few people cook them well enough for me to return for more.
At some places, they are hardly palatable.
Right strategies and facilities must be put in place to promote tourism using food, lest it backfires.
YS Chan,
Kuala Lumpur
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