By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, May 14: ‘Tuaktoberfest’ could be, the next gastronomic heritage and cultural festival event on Sarawak’s calendar.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said that it is high time Sarawak should promote tuak, or local rice wine, which, is the traditional drink of Dayak communities through this kind of festival.
He said it would enable Sarawak to also promote the whole spectrum of its traditional heritage and culture, and such a festival would be the right venue for this.
“As the city council, we do what we can to support the venue and whatever is possible,” he told reporters at a press conference after the closing ceremony of the Culinary Heritage And Arts Society Sarawak (CHASS) Heritage Food Festival held at The Hills Kuching here today.
Wee said Sarawak had been promoting other products at events, and it is time to revisit what it could do.
“Until today, we still cannot find tuak or rice wine in the duty-free shops, so this is our next target to get people to come to such a festival and try what we have to offer and make it onto a world scene.”
He suggested that even though Tuaktoberfest sounds similar to like Octoberfest which is marked in October, it could be held in November instead.
He said that Sarawak has not yet implemented any policy in the manufacturing of tuak as it needs to take into account many things, including alcohol content, after taking into account traditional brewing practices and heritage in its formulation.
“We have not had a policy that has been applied, before, and the production in maintaining the distilled alcohol content is something that needs to be done.
“I think we need time to bring in experts in all this manufacturing and the making of tuak after the Kuching Food Festival,” he said.
Also present at the press conference were CHASS Heritage Food Festival chairwoman, Datin Dona Drury-Wee and CHASS deputy president Gracie Geikie. — DayakDaily
