Penang: Mi Jawa and Roti Benggali among dishes submitted for national heritage status

Penang: Mi Jawa and Roti Benggali among dishes submitted for national heritage status

PENANG has declared a diverse range of street food dishes for recognition under the national heritage status in line with the state's demographic background as a highly multi-racial state.

State exco for tourism, Wong Hon Wai said that Penang nominated 10 street dishes to the heritage authorities to safeguard its rich culinary reputation.

The dishes were identified as nasi kandar, pasembor, char kue kak, mi hokkien, mi jawa, oh chien, mi udang, mi sotong, kerabu bihun, and roti benggali.

Four are Chinese-origin dishes, and the rest are Malay, Indian and Indian-Muslim.

“The nominations were recently submitted to the National Heritage Department, and they are undergoing evaluation before they can officially be recognised as a heritage dish."

Wong was speaking after opening the Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in its Permatang Pauh campus recently.

“This gazettement effort is vital, not only to preserve the state’s culinary heritage passed down through generations, but also to ensure Penang’s world-renowned gastronomy continues to be protected, promoted and celebrated for future generations,” said Wong.

He also hopes that more traditional street food can be recognised as a heritage dish.

National Heritage Department director-general Mohamad Muda Bahadin, who is also a National Heritage Commissioner, said that the proposed 10 dishes had passed the preliminary evaluation.

"We expect the dishes to be ratified as our heritage dishes soon."

“Among the criteria assessed is that the dish must be produced by the local community in the state. Most importantly, when recognising a heritage food, it is the community itself that plays a vital role in keeping the dish alive,” he said.

According to him, 213 traditional dishes from various states and ethnic groups in Malaysia have been recognised as heritage, including char kuetiau, kuih angku, pulut tekan with seri kaya, laksa, pie tee, and gerang asam.

Themed “Upholding Culinary Heritage”, the biennial conference, organised by the department, serves as a platform for experts, government agencies, academics, industry players, and communities to share insights on safeguarding Malaysia’s intangible cultural heritage. - October 10, 2025.