Malaysia's Breakfast Culture Earns A Spot On UNESCO's Cultural Heritage List
"Breakfast culture in Malaysia plays an important role among Malaysia's multi-ethnic societies," said the committee.
By May Vin Ang — 06 Dec 2024, 12:28 PM
Malaysia's breakfast culture has been inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
In a statement yesterday, 5 December, the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) said the recognition for 'Breakfast Culture in Malaysia: Dining Experience in a Multi-Ethnic Society' was announced by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paraguay yesterday, 5 December.
"Breakfast culture in Malaysia plays an important role among Malaysia's multi-ethnic societies. It is centred on food and spending time together over a morning meal.
"The element is a living heritage related to the traditional dietary practices, which encompasses staple traditional foods such as nasi lemak, roti canai, and teh tarik," said the committee.
The evaluation body concluded that Malaysia's breakfast culture met all of UNESCO's criteria for the list, which aims to safeguard and raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage elements from different countries
"The breakfast culture in Malaysia reflects the nation's diversity, harmony, inclusivity, and acceptance among its multi-ethnic society.
"It is an intangible cultural heritage element aligned with UNESCO's criteria, thus fostering social connections and showcasing Malaysia's strength as a multiracial nation," added MOTAC.
The ministry said it submitted the nomination for Malaysia's breakfast culture in March this year, the first related to food and gastronomy.
The kebaya was also inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity this year
The recognition was the result of a joint nomination by Malaysia, along with Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
Malaysia's prior recognitions include the Mak Yong theatre in 2005, Dondang Sayang (2018), Silat (2019), Ong Chun/Wangchuan/Wangkang ceremony (joint nomination with China, 2020), Pantun (joint nomination with Indonesia, 2020), Songket (2021), and Mek Mulung (2023).
