Miri Kitchen Showcases Uniqueness Of Traditional Sarawak Cuisine
MIRI: The Miri Kitchen programme, held in conjunction with Sarawakku Sayang (SKS) 2026 at Miri Stadium, has become a platform to highlight a variety of traditional Sarawakian dishes, successfully drawing visitors from all walks of life.
The programme, which began on Friday, features a selection of unique menus reflecting the state’s cultural heritage, including kuih serabai, cucur bubuk, ikan baong masak kunyit and nubak layak, a rice dish wrapped in leaves.
The uniqueness of dishes such as cucur bubuk lies not only in its status as a traditional delicacy, but also in its cultural identity among local communities, where it is closely associated with the catching of bubuk (krill) used to make belacan (shrimp paste).
One participant, Mirza Hasan said her participation provided an opportunity to introduce kuih serabai to the public, especially the younger generation who are becoming less familiar with traditional foods.
According to her, the delicacy has its own distinct appeal in terms of preparation and the use of ingredients such as young coconut, which is now increasingly difficult to obtain.
At the same time, she appreciated the state government’s initiative in organising such a programme as an effort to promote traditional food while helping small entrepreneurs expand their market reach.
Meanwhile, cucur bubuk entrepreneur Mohamad Bakhtiar Rohani described Miri Kitchen as the best platform to introduce dishes rarely found in other areas, while also creating opportunities to interact with visitors.
He said the programme also enables participants to share knowledge and experience on the diversity of Sarawak traditional food.
For Demaris Abai from Long Semadoh, Lawas, her participation in the programme served as a platform to introduce traditional Lun Bawang dishes such as nubak layak to the public.
According to her, being involved in the programme gave her a sense of pride in being able to showcase ethnic culinary heritage to a broader audience.
Also drawing attention was a stall featuring ikan baong masak kunyit, prepared using fresh ingredients and a traditional recipe from Marudi.
Its owner, Zubir Alwi said the dish preserves the authenticity of old-style cooking through the use of special spices from the area.
He also conducted a cooking demonstration for Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki and other dignitaries who stopped by his stall.
He expressed hope that more participants, especially from the Marudi area, would be featured in future editions to further promote traditional Sarawakian food. -UKASnews
