Kuala Lumpur, Nov. 17 (BNA): Dishes from the cookbooks published by Malaysia’s Queen Azizah will be cooked live by international chefs during a television program next month.
Masters of Malaysian Cuisine (MOMC) first came together during the Covid-19 lockdown to share their cooking knowledge with a global audience.
Apart from showcasing Malaysia’s diverse cuisine, the chefs engage with the audience by answering any cooking questions during the broadcasts.
Queen Azizah’s two cookbooks, traditional dishes of Pahang and traditional sweets of Pahang, are compilations of vintage recipes from her home state of Pahang that were in danger of being lost to future generations.
They represent the diversity of Malaysia, with contributions from various communities including the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians and even the natives, or the Orang Asli, deep in the jungles of Pahang.
The entire production of the books was funded by the legacy left by the Queen's late father, Sultan Iskandar of Johor, and all proceeds from their sales go to Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation, a foundation she set up over 15 years ago, which funds IVF treatment for couples.
Queen Azizah’s interest in cooking pairs with her interest in traditional craft, in particular Tenun Pahang (Pahang Weave).
The plates of food in her book are all placed on Tenun Pahang DiRaja, a handwoven textile that was a dying art in Pahang until she travelled throughout the state to preserve it.
She gathered the remaining handful of old weavers, documented all the techniques into a curriculum, and set up a training institute in Pahang to train a new generation of weavers in this craft.