Malaysian Identities and Mélange Food Cultures

Malaysian food cultures originate from various sources representing different regional types of gastronomy. They can be depicted as a type of local multiculturalism to exemplify a national smorgasbord composing heritage dishes unique to the country. Food choices are often made in line with ethnic, c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of intercultural studies 2017-03, Vol.38 (2), p.139-154
Main Author: Lee, Raymond L. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asian culture
Cultural heritage
cultural heterogeneity
Ethnic foods
Ethnicity
Food
food cultures
food studies
Gastronomy
identity
Malaysia
Markets
modernities
multiculturalism
Multiculturalism & pluralism
multiple modernities
Muslims
Non-Muslims
Religion
Social identity
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Summary:Malaysian food cultures originate from various sources representing different regional types of gastronomy. They can be depicted as a type of local multiculturalism to exemplify a national smorgasbord composing heritage dishes unique to the country. Food choices are often made in line with ethnic, cultural and religious considerations. There are sometimes rules that instil strict observations of food choices, as in the case of Muslims following the norms of halal. But non-Muslims are not inadvertently excluded from participating in the markets of halal food. These complexities in food choice and gastronomic relations are, however, not a deterrent to large segments of the population 'eating together-in-difference'. This form of commensality underscores the ideal of unity in diversity but lacks the portrayal of perceived differences in multicultural eating. It may be more appropriate to address the multiculturalism in Malaysian food cultures as a case of 'eating apart together'.
ISSN:0725-6868
1469-9540
DOI:10.1080/07256868.2017.1289907