It was in a very peaceful and friendly atmosphere that Malaysian Ambassador Abdullah Faiz Zain and his wife, Wan Ehsan Taib, received their guests last week at their house in Providencia, Santiago, where the city's first Malaysian cooking demonstration was held.

Vimon Kidchob, ambassador of Thailand; Consuelo Puyat-Reyes, ambassador of the Philippines, Beak III-Soon, wife of the Korean ambassador; and Sussane Angerholzer, wife of the Austrian ambassador were present at the event. The audience also included about 50 chefs, chefs' assistants, cooks, and instructors from different institutions such as the Chilean Association of Gastronomy (ACHIGA), the Les Toques Blanches Chefs Association , and the INACAP and DUOC professional institutes.

Chef Mohd Rene Juefri B. Mohd Johari was specially flown in by Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia to perform several cooking demonstrations - not only in Santiago, but also in the Chilean cities of Concepción, Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.

The main objective of this event was to make Chileans aware of the treasures of Malaysian food. Indeed, although passing by a Chinese, Indian or Thai restaurant is a common thing in the Metropolitan Region, you will not find any Malaysian restaurants in Santiago.

Malaysian gastronomy reflects the multiculturalism of the country. Most dishes are derived from a mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese foods. Rice is one of the staple ingredients, and all dishes are full of multiple aromatic flavors, such as ginger, garlic, lemongrass, dried chilli and basil. Coco milk is another common ingredient.

For the occasion, young chef Juefri prepared several delicious courses that the guests could enjoy afterwards. Among them were roti canai, a sort of fried bread also called “flying pancake”; dhalca, a pea-based sauce; satay ayam and beef, beef and chicken kebabs served with a peanut sauce; and Lepat Pissang, a steamed banana cake.

Love and passion may be the best words to characterize the relationship that binds together chef Rene Juefri and his cuisine. By watching the Malaysian chef cooking, you realize that Malaysian cooking is really art and is a very important part of Malaysian culture.

“Malaysians can spend almost half of their day cooking,” said chef Juefri, “Malaysian food requires a lot of time and love to be cooked.”

Many travel guidebooks suggest culinary tours in Malaysia. “The passion for food has made Malaysia one of the best destinations for a culinary adventure,” says one of Tourism Malaysia’s brochures.

Malaysia is a very diversified country, not only in regard to its multiple cultures but also its geography. “Malaysia is all of Asia in a single country,” the travel guides say.

If you need more information about Malaysia and want to discover this so-called “gastronomical paradise,” you can visit the Malaysian Embassy or contact Tourism Malaysia (www.tourism.gov.my).

Photo courtesy of Kyle Weaver (Santiago Times)

Photo courtesy of Kyle Weaver (Santiago Times)

Photo courtesy of Kyle Weaver (Santiago Times)

Photo courtesy of Kyle Weaver

Photo courtesy of Kyle Weaver (Santiago Times)

Photo courtesy of Kyle Weaver

Welcoming Remarks by Puan Wan Ehsan Taib, wife of Ambassador

Volunteers

Audience enthralled by the "tea dance"

Much awaited "food tasting"

A fan