Across Malaysia, traditional breakfast fares like the nasi lemak, roti canai, and teh tarik always seem to be on the menu, whether in mamak food stalls, kopitiam coffee houses or even high-end hotels. Making up the country’s breakfast culture, these food items symbolize unity in diversity in a country home to Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other ethnic groups.
Last year, Malaysia’s breakfast culture was added to UNESCO’s trove of intangible cultural heritage, joining more than 700 of such treasures from 150 countries.
UNESCO maintains the intangible cultural heritage list to safeguard traditions and to foster mutual respect for different cultures and promote intercultural dialogue. Keeping intangible cultural heritage intact is also important in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization.
The intangible cultural heritage list includes not just monuments and collections of objects but also traditions or living expressions passed down to every generation, including oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature, and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.
Malaysia nominated the breakfast culture to be inscribed on the list in March 2023. The government gazetted nasi lemak, roti canai, and teh tarik as national heritage in 2022 under the National Heritage Act 2005.
In a statement, the Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry said, "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.”
Cultural harmony
Nasi lemak, roti canai, and teh tarik go beyond a nourishing breakfast. In Malaysia, the breakfast culture symbolizes cultural harmony as the Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other ethnic groups throughout the country both produce and consume the dishes.
Nasi lemak—or “fat rice”—is a traditional Malay dish consisting of rice—nasi—cooked in “fat” in the form of coconut milk. It is often served with side dishes, including sambal relish, fried peanuts and anchovies, boiled egg, and cucumber. It can also be served with protein, either chicken, fish and other seafoods, and beef.
Roti canai, or flatbread, meanwhile, is of Indian origin. It is usually served with dishes, like curry or stew, to sop up the sauce or gravy.
Teh tarik, or pulled tea, is Malaysia’s national drink. Made from black tea, milk, and sugar, it is served either hot or cold. The hot tea is pulled from one vessel to another to cool and mix the beverage. Teh tarik is said to be of Indian origin, although the tea culture has a long history dating back from ancient times in the People’s Republic of China.
The preparation and consumption of these breakfast foods has eventually become common and savored by all, regardless of ethnic background. They are economical to produce and appreciated by people from all walks of life as an affordable and complete meal to start the day.
The dishes have inevitably become a source of pride and a significant part of Malaysia’s gastronomic history.
“Malaysian breakfast is very important for our culture and also lifestyle in Malaysia,” said Dato' Ismaiil Ahmad, a chef who specializes in heritage Malay cuisine and an advocate of the country’s breakfast culture. “We must have breakfast—breakfast meeting, breakfast social, breakfast wedding, breakfast, breakfast, breakfast,” he said in a documentary produced by the Department of National Heritage for UNESCO.
Protecting culinary heritage
As traditions go, the knowledge and skills in preparing the dishes making up Malaysia’s breakfast culture are transmitted informally to each generation through oral tradition, observation, and participation. Local communities, the food service and hospitality sectors, and trade associations also contribute to preserving these traditions.
Schools also do their part to ensure the tradition is passed down. In the documentary, Muhammad Shahrim bin Ab Karim, a professor at the Universiti Putra Malaysia, said the university has programs in place not just to impart knowledge about the country’s culinary traditions to students, but also so they can improve local traditional foods.
“We are preparing actually the students in innovating this kind of breakfast culture across the multiethnics in Malaysia,” added Farah Adibah binti Che Ishak, senior lecturer at the same university.
Malaysia is hopeful the UNESCO recognition will enhance the country’s efforts to preserve its culinary traditions. “This recognition is expected to inspire greater efforts in safeguarding intangible heritage through collaborative initiatives of various quarters including the government, associations, and local communities, besides opening up avenues for broader cooperation across various fields," the tourism ministry said.