Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia
Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a colle...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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BioMed Central
2022
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101430/ |
| _version_ | 1848863558343852032 |
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| author | Kamaruzaman, Mohd Yusof Ab. Karim, Muhammad Shahrim Che Ishak, Farah Adibah Arshad, Mohd Mursyid |
| author_facet | Kamaruzaman, Mohd Yusof Ab. Karim, Muhammad Shahrim Che Ishak, Farah Adibah Arshad, Mohd Mursyid |
| author_sort | Kamaruzaman, Mohd Yusof |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a collection of either sweet desserts or savoury snacks. Acknowledging that the district of Mersing in Johor is an underexposed heritage site in Malaysia, this study disinters the traditional Malay kuih nuances as a regional ethnic food. Qualitative method was employed involving 14 kuih experts in Mersing to answer the research question “What is the meaning of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing?” in which semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accurate results. Thematic analysis was used to identify the codes, categories, and themes as the nuances of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing. The themes enlist (i) the use of native crops, (ii) the practice of conventional Malay cooking methods, (iii) the enculturation of Malaysia’s east coast traditions, and (iv) the enrichment of sub-ethnic traditions among the Malays. It was found that the analysed nuances of traditional Malay kuih reinstated the individuality and uniqueness of the Malay ethnic’s gastronomy in Malaysia. In short, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the Malay’s unique culture and heritage in Malaysia, thus benefitting the scholars, local tourism board, entrepreneurs, consumers, among others. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:34:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-101430 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:34:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | BioMed Central |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1014302023-12-15T23:43:23Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101430/ Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia Kamaruzaman, Mohd Yusof Ab. Karim, Muhammad Shahrim Che Ishak, Farah Adibah Arshad, Mohd Mursyid Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a collection of either sweet desserts or savoury snacks. Acknowledging that the district of Mersing in Johor is an underexposed heritage site in Malaysia, this study disinters the traditional Malay kuih nuances as a regional ethnic food. Qualitative method was employed involving 14 kuih experts in Mersing to answer the research question “What is the meaning of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing?” in which semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accurate results. Thematic analysis was used to identify the codes, categories, and themes as the nuances of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing. The themes enlist (i) the use of native crops, (ii) the practice of conventional Malay cooking methods, (iii) the enculturation of Malaysia’s east coast traditions, and (iv) the enrichment of sub-ethnic traditions among the Malays. It was found that the analysed nuances of traditional Malay kuih reinstated the individuality and uniqueness of the Malay ethnic’s gastronomy in Malaysia. In short, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the Malay’s unique culture and heritage in Malaysia, thus benefitting the scholars, local tourism board, entrepreneurs, consumers, among others. BioMed Central 2022-06-27 Article PeerReviewed Kamaruzaman, Mohd Yusof and Ab. Karim, Muhammad Shahrim and Che Ishak, Farah Adibah and Arshad, Mohd Mursyid (2022) Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 9 (23). pp. 1-12. ISSN 2352-6181; ESSN: 2352-619X https://journalofethnicfoods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42779-022-00139-2 10.1186/s42779-022-00139-2 |
| spellingShingle | Kamaruzaman, Mohd Yusof Ab. Karim, Muhammad Shahrim Che Ishak, Farah Adibah Arshad, Mohd Mursyid Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia |
| title | Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia |
| title_full | Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia |
| title_fullStr | Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia |
| title_short | Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia |
| title_sort | exposing the nuances of traditional malay kuih in mersing district, johor, malaysia |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101430/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101430/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101430/ |