Kuching Recognised As Malaysia’s First UNESCO Creative City Mainly For Its Amazing Food

By Ahmad Hamizan  •  19 Nov 2021 in News

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Kuching, the state capital of Sarawak, is well known to most Malaysians (and beyond) as a culinary destination of choice.

Besides being the best place to get Sarawak Laksa, Mee Kolok, and colourful Kek Lapis, the whole city is filled with spots that range from the excellent to the sublime.

It seems that this fact has reached the people over at UNESCO, as they have recently inducted Kuching onto their Creative Cities Network (UCCN), specifically in the field of Gastronomy.

“We are proud as Kuching is the first city in Malaysia admitted to the UCCN list. This is an outstanding achievement and will have a positive impact on local socio-economic development,” enthused state minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The UCCN is an initiative introduced by UNESCO to “foster innovation and creativity as a driver towards sustainable city development”.

There are seven categories to the list, namely film; music; knowledge and literature; design; media arts; traditional arts and crafts; as well as gastronomy.

Abdul Karim – who serves as the Tourism, Arts, and Culture minister in the state – has said that Kuching’s inclusion is due to the rich heritage of the many ethnics groups there, as well as their unique food preparation techniques.

“Our bountiful harvests are our winning factor, and our stories ought to be told to the world,” he said.

“However, this is just the beginning of a long journey to sustain (this honour).”