KUALA LUMPUR – The taste of nasi lemak and asam laksa may win over the hearts of most Malaysians, but this was not enough to save the country from slipping into the bottom five of the World’s Cuisines Ranking.
The updated June list by experiential travel guide website TasteAtlas sees Malaysia placed at a lowly 46th position out of 50, with only Egypt, Bolivia, Uruguay and Slovenia trailing behind.
The list, which sees Malaysia obtaining a score of 4.19 out of a possible 5, was uploaded on TasteAtlas’ Twitter account yesterday evening, sparking heated debate among netizens.
WORLD'S CUISINES RANKING Update (June 2022)
— TasteAtlas (@TasteAtlas) June 4, 2022
Opinions?
Each country's rating is obtained by the users average rating of the 30 best dishes, beverages and food products in that country. Countries that are not on the list do not have enough items rated. pic.twitter.com/iRunTiy1Oo
The comment section has since been turned off, although users can still leave their remarks via the quote tweet function.
TasteAtlas explained that each country’s score is based on the average rating of its 30 best dishes, beverages and food products, given by users.
“Countries that are not on the list do not have enough items rated.”
Italy tops the list with a rating of 4.78, with Greece (4.75), Spain (4.65), Romania (4.57) and France (4.54) rounding out the top five.
Japan is the sole Asian country in the top 10, amassing a score of 4.54 and placing sixth, while Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand are the only other Southeast Asian countries on the list, ranked 14th, 19th and 21st respectively.
Meanwhile, Singapore, Malaysia’s biggest rival when it comes to food, was not mentioned on the list.
A check on TasteAtlas’ website showed that Malaysian cuisines had previously ranked 44th, with bak kut teh, Sarawak laksa, and roti canai listed among its best dishes.
The latest ranking was not met well with the majority of Twitter users, with many questioning how countries like the United States, typically not well-known for its delicacies, could end up in 13th spot over other nations with more popular cuisines.
Malaysia’s ranking in the bottom five also baffled many locals and foreigners.
Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, who described it as preposterous, was among those to have poured scorn on the ranking.
“Whoever graded this probably has a long-bout of anosmia & ageusia!” he said, referring to people who have lost their senses of smell and taste.
This is preposterous!
— Kelvin yii (@Kelvinyii88) June 5, 2022
Whoever graded this probably has a long-bout of anosmia & ageusia! https://t.co/V0Xip397qb
User @sengfoo88 posted: “I can acquiesce (to) Malaysia being 46th but you have got to be kidding to put USA at 13th.”
I can acquiesce Malaysia being 46th but you have got to be kidding to put USA at 13th. https://t.co/N55N6raMvY
— Lee Seng Foo??李成富 (@sengfoo88) June 5, 2022
Another user @_mrseras argued that Malaysian cuisines should have been included in the top 10 with the likes of Chinese, French, Italian, Indian and Japanese food.
Top 5 are: Chinese, French, Italian, Indian and Japanese. There is no discussion on these. Next 5 would probably be.. Thai, Greek, Mexican, Turkish and Malaysian. Then the rest follow. It is also worth saying that Greek food is only really good in Greece. https://t.co/g2kowrS5zF
— Saif ???? (@_mrseras) June 5, 2022
Meanwhile, @GD1477 said: “Malaysia is at #46, Philippines not in top 10, and USA at #13 and ranked higher than Indonesia? Whoever made this ranking (is) either dumb or really have the worst palate among all living things in the world.”
Malaysia is at #46, Philippines not in top 10, and USA at #13 and ranked higher than Indonesia? Whoever made this ranking either dumb or really have the worst palate among all living things in the world. https://t.co/aHJ3tW1SpR
— yn (@GD1477) June 5, 2022
The Vibes has reached out to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri for comment on how Malaysia could better market its food products. – The Vibes, June 5, 2022
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