By Karen Bong
KUCHING, April 5: A Malaysia Book of Records attempt featuring at least 70 variations of ‘ulam-ulaman’, a traditional Malaysian salad found in Sarawak, will be the highlight of the Samarahan Food and Cultural Festival 2024, scheduled to take place from May 10 to 19 at Aiman Mall, Kota Samarahan.
Organised by the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS), the festival aims to showcase and promote various traditional delicacies, popular foods, arts, customs, cultures, and traditional games that form the heritage of Sarawak, making it an annual tourism event in Samarahan.
Returning for its second edition after the inaugural event in December 2022, the 10-day festival, running from 12pm to 10pm, will feature 83 sales stalls, including exhibitions on handicrafts, automotive, banking, telecommunications, and more.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah expressed delight with the ulam-ulaman record-breaking attempt, saying that the promotion will encourage large-scale production of these products for potential markets both within and outside of Sarawak, which will benefit not only entrepreneurs but also farmers.
“The Festival will have a significant impact on the tourism industry, closely tied to food, culture, and other attractions, as we are famous for our laksa, kolo mee, kampua mee, and more.
“Apart from that, there are other exciting activities available, and this will attract visitors to come down here not only for their gastronomic delights but also foster community bonding,” he told a press conference to announce the Festival at his Ministry’s office in Bangunan Baitulmakmur today.
Ulam refers to a traditional salad crafted from an array of fresh indigenous wild plants, leaves, vegetables, shoots, herbs, and fruits. Typically consumed raw or lightly blanched, ulam is often accompanied by flavourful sauces like anchovies, cincalok, or sambal.
Sarawak boasts a rich diversity of ulam-ulaman, with at least 71 distinct varieties. These encompass a wide range of plants and vegetables, including paku uban, terung pipit, rebung (shoot), petai, tapioca leaves, papaya leaves, ginger, ladies finger, mengkuang, long beans, curry leaves, kangkung, banana flower or heart, mango, dabai, pedada fruits, and many more.
Noting that Samarahan used to be a downtrodden place, Abdul Karim emphasised that many developments have reshaped its landscape to become the urban fringe of Kuching today due to its close proximity.
“It is also the food belt that feeds Kuching city as it produces various foods, including pineapple, banana, ambal, ikan lumek, and ikan gonjeng. Given another ten years, it will see greater transformation,” he said.
Abdul Karim is expected to officiate the festival’s opening ceremony on May 10, while Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian has been invited to grace the closing ceremony on May 19.
The last festival in 2022 attracted 98,819 visitors over five days. With this year’s extended duration of 10 days, MPKS aims to surpass this figure, including sales revenue generated by entrepreneurs.
Cultural events will be held nightly, featuring performances such as Bermukun, Zapin Sindang, Chinese orchestra, Chinese 24-season drums, Gendang Pampat Iban, Bugis traditional costume fashion shows, dances, music, Ngajat Iban, and Bidayuh performances.
Additionally, other exciting activities have been planned, including cooking competitions for Ikan Terubok, Ikan Bulu, and Ikan Pari, a pineapple feast, an aerobathon challenge, Samarahan Got Talent, a cosplay show, colouring competitions, beads and Sarawak LV basket demonstrations, big bike gatherings, autoshow, busking, open mic sessions, and performances by invited artists. — DayakDaily
