Tempasuk traditional recipes published in books
KOTA KINABALU: Two traditional recipe books inspired from the people living in the Tempasuk constituency of Kota Belud were handed over to the Sabah State Library director, Fatimah Abdillah, recently for record and storage.
The two books are ‘Buku 57 Resipi Kuih Tradisional Tempasuk Kota Belud Sabah Siri 2’ and ‘57 Recipes Traditional Delicacies Tempasuk of Kota Belud Sabah Series 1’.
They were published by Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Kasih Kota Belud (PERKASIH) and written by Vinnie Nursyahirah.
“The completion of these two books took quite a long time due to time constraints to focus on writing. However, with great determination, the ‘Buku 57 Resipi Kuih Tradisional Tempasuk Kota Belud Sabah - Siri 2’ has been successfully published together with the English translation of my first series.
“The translation was done to meet quite a lot of demand,” said Vinnie in a press release.
A total of 57 traditional dishes and kuih recipes from the Bajau Samah, Dusun Tindal, Iranun and Rungus ethnic groups in Tempasuk have been included in both books.
“I would like to thank the Tempasuk Kitchen Tour team for their support and cooperation in helping me gather traditional kuih recipes from their respective villages through the Tempasuk Kitchen Tour Program from 2021 to 2023.
“Thank you to Series 1 Academic Advisor, Datuk Maimunah Suhaibul and Series 2 Academic Advisor, Universiti Malaysia Sabah lecturer Ester Lazarus for all their insights and guidance,” she said.
According to Vinnie, the main editor of the books is Maslijan Abdul Rasad from the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka of Sabah, who guided her together with Farawati Sabli to publish the books.
The publication of these books has also given space to young people and graduates to work by producing interesting pictures.
For the record, part of the sales of these books will be channelled to the association’s welfare fund to help the needy and support charity work.
“I also hope that this book will give inspiration to other districts to book traditional cooking recipes in their respective areas.
“This is because with the availability of published books that display the diversity and uniqueness of the culinary arts inherited from generations in Sabah, we are able to introduce, promote and further elevate the dignity of our culture through the art of cooking.
“The documentation of this book in the form of a recipe book will also help to preserve the art of traditional cooking for heritage and benefit as a reference material and guide.
“Food reflects the culture and identity of a society, so let’s get together to recognise, introduce and dignify traditional cuisine to be inherited by future generations,” she concluded.