An American TV host and dietician, Gina Keatley launched a “Christmas-a-la-Malaysia” initiative to celebrate the “holiday season feasting in Malaysian style” in mid October. The strategic aim of this initiative is to popularise Malaysian foods and spices and, in effect, increase Malaysia’s food and spices export to the US.
Malaysia Kitchen for the World Announces Gina Keatley as Spokesperson
“Being a dietician and nutritionist, I am particularly aware of the effects of some foods on the health of an individual, and believe that certain ingredients and spices add to a balanced diet of the consumers. New York, like Malaysia, is a veritable melting pot with so many ethnic and culinary varieties visible here,” Keatly observed, adding that Malaysian spices are “vibrant besides being nutritious and adding flavour to the food”.
With America going into two of its biggest festive seasons – Thanksgiving and Christmas – Matrade made a strong pitch for Malaysian food products and spices, making use of the premises of the Malaysian Kitchen Restaurant whose owner, Kirby Tan, comes from Malaysian Melaka state and has even designed the ambience of his restaurant’s interior with images of his native Malaysian city.
Tan who organised the “Christmas a-la-Malaysia” event at his restaurant under Matrade’s sponsorship, had created the entire menu, including the Turkey dinner a-la-Malaysia, with Keatley demonstrating the cooking.
A series of Malaysian culinary roadshows will follow, with the first roadshow kicking off on Nov 7 at the Malaysian Kitchen Restaurant in New York and the second roadshow will be held on Nov 14 in Old Bridge, New Jersey, the third in Edison, New Jersey, and the fourth in East Hanover, New Jersey. The series of roadshows will be capped by a special show time event with live entertainment on Dec 5, again, at the Malaysian Kitchen Restaurant.
– Bernama
