Malaysia Showcases Culinary Heritage In Hungary To Strengthen Cultural Ties

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (NNN) – Malaysia showcased its rich culinary heritage in Hungary at a gastrodiplomacy event in Budapest, featuring traditional favourites such as nasi biryani gam, cucur udang and rendang tok to strengthen cultural ties and promote tourism.

Organised by the Malaysian Embassy in Hungary, the event, dubbed “A Taste of Malaysia”, featured a live cooking demonstration and a traditional Malay wedding-style banquet led by Tourism, Arts and Culture Ambassador for Gastronomy Datuk Chef Ismail Ahmad.

The exclusive culinary showcase, held at the Kuktaparty Cooking School in Budapest on Wednesday, brought Malaysian flavours to the heart of Central Europe, attracting more than 30 guests, including Hungarian government officials, business leaders, culinary educators and media representatives.

Guests were treated to a live demonstration of cucur udang (prawn fritters) by Chef Ismail, followed by a traditional Malay wedding-style hidang (communal banquet) featuring heritage dishes such as ayam madu (honey chicken), kari dhal, pecal, lepat pisang and sira labu (candied pumpkin).

Guests also received specially prepared recipe booklets featuring the dishes showcased, encouraging them to recreate Malaysian delicacies at home.

In his welcoming remarks, Malaysian Chargé d’Affaires Norafizan Mustaffa highlighted the power of cuisine as a cultural bridge, noting that Malaysia and Hungary shared an appreciation for hearty meals, warm hospitality and common ingredients such as garlic, onions and red paprika, despite their geographical distance.

He cited an eatery in Perak operated by a Hungarian-Malaysian couple that serves traditional Hungarian fried bread, known as lángos, topped with Malaysian sambal, anchovies, peanuts and cucumber, as an example of how the two culinary traditions could blend.

“If a Hungarian lángos can feel right at home in Malaysia, then our two nations already speak the exact same language, the language of good food,” he said, according to a statement by Embassy of Malaysia in Budapest. 

Norafizan stressed that lasting international friendships were often forged over shared meals rather than formal communiqués.

He also encouraged Hungarian travellers to explore Malaysia in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and 2027 campaigns.

The event was also attended by Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director for Asia and the Pacific Adrienn Sallai as guest of honour, Budapest District 1 Deputy Mayor Artúr Fodor and Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dr Zoltán Kovács.

Adding a literary touch to the event, Malaysian bilingual writer, poet and translator Mawar Marzuki recited an original poem written for the occasion.

Mawar, who is currently undertaking an artistic residency in Ljubljana, Slovenia, is participating in the Slovene Writers’ Association’s Programme in Residence for Literary Mediators.

--NNN