Dishes of Our Root: A Healing Touch by Malay Food Heritage Branding Flagship (MFHB), IIUM Pagoh Campus – Kulliyyah of Sustainable Tourism and Contemporary Languages

By Muhammad Hanif Bin Anas

PAGOH, 18 August 2023: As delicious and homey food is always associated with healing elements; Healing Cooking 1.0 and Community Engagement was held in aiming towards promoting good mental health and quality education for the staff in Kulliyyah of Languages and Management IIUM Pagoh. The event which was organized by the Malay Food Heritage Branding Flagship (MFHB) in collaboration with the Counseling Unit of KLM, was attended by KLM staff, Kumpulan Wanita Laman Tani Kompleks Penghulu Mukim Parit Jawa, and a team from Gambang Campus.

*Dr. Lilisuriani (The Leader Project of MFHB Flagship) with Kumpulan Wanita Laman Tani Kompleks Penghulu Mukim Parit Jawa*

The event began with a sharing session on how cooking heals by Masterchef Malaysia Dr. Ezani Farhana Binti Md Monoto, Sr. Nur Masturah Binti Mohamad Arif the counselor, and our fellow IIUM family from Gambang campus, Madam Hanifah Binti Eydel. The session highlighted how the process of preparing dishes can be a therapy for stress. Some valuable information on the nutritional values of ingredients that aid physical and mental health was also shared on that day.

A live cooking demonstration of a special Johorean food, Kacang Pool by Masterchef Malaysia, Dr. Ezani Monoto was a real treat. Through this segment, the chef celebrated local ingredients and demonstrated her techniques in preparing the delicious dish, for everyone to taste.

*The attendees were treated to an array of aromas, flavors, and textures as the talented Masterchef cooked a special Johorean food, Kacang Pool.*

The highlight of the event was a cooking competition which was participated by the six teams from the Department of Arabic Language (DOA1 and DOAL2), Department of English Language (DOEL), Department of Malay Language (DOML), Department of Tourism (DOT) and

the General Studies Unit (GSU). All teams showcased their cooking skills while fostering a sense of community with the locals and embracing our Malay local dishes. A wide range of traditional Malay dishes was available for sampling and tasting. Top three winners were announced with their amazing menus.

The overall winner of this competition went to team Department of Malay Language (DOML) with their menu that consists of:

Daging salai rebung masak lemak cili padi
Sambal bilis petai
Ulam ulaman
Sambal belacan tempoyak
Air kelapa muda

*The overall winner of this competition went to the Department of Malay Language (DOML).*

The Department of Tourism (DOT) bagged second place with their:

Ikan siakap masak lemak cili api
Sambal udang petai
Jagung lemak manis
Teh O limau

*The second place winner, the Department of Tourism (DOT).*

In the third place, was the Department of Arabic Language (DOAL) with its breakfast menu, Bubur Nasi and Air bunga Telang

*The third winner, the Department of Arabic Language (DOAL1)*

*Nasi Lemak and Bahulu Tradisi were served to all participants by MFHB flagship as tokens of appreciation.*

Healing Cooking 1.0 and Community Engagement was a successful program as it received encouraging feedback from participants. Overall, this program was enjoyable, leaving attendees inspired, educated, and with full stomachs. Events like these play a vital role in fostering a love for cooking, managing overall well-being, and bringing people together through the universal language of food. The cooking competition also suggested a friendly environment that allows room for incorporating teamwork skills.