Celebrating Culinary Cultural Diversity at Asia Food Festival 2014
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BY CK LAM
The Asia Food Festival 2014 (AFF) is set to kick off with a host of activities for five days from Oct 22 at the Subterranean Penang International Convention & Exhibition Centre (SPICE).
The festival will feature a Fine Arts of Tea and Coffee Appreciation seminar, Asian Barista and Latte Art competition, Malaysian Association of Hotels Waiters’ Race and Bed Making competition as well as Wine and Spirits seminars.
The inaugural festival is themed Celebrating Our Culinary Cultural Diversity.
Unveiling logos of sponsors and partners for the food festival
Also labelled as Action, Fast and Furious 2014 (AFF), the Penang chapter of the Chefs Association of Malaysia intends to mark the festival as a five star culinary and trade event. The association is also a member of the World Association of Chefs Societies.
At the press conference recently on board the Superstar Libra, AFF organising chairman Lee Chan Wai said the AFF 2014 is a great opportunity for visitors to experience culinary events, conferences and seminars.
Present were Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, director William Tan, Star Cruises Penang assistant vice-president Penang (operations) Eric Sia and the Penang chapter Chefs Association of Malaysia chairman Peter Chan.
Rashid described the event as a timely effort to further promote Penang not just as a food paradise for local and international tourists but to further enhance the Pearl of The Orient as a perfect destination for meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition.
“I am pleased to know that AFF 2014’s initiative to deliver the first ever hospitality and food and beverage event in Malaysia takes on the appropriate sub-theme of Go Green towards Zero Waste. All food waste will be recycled and accounted for every day. Solid waste will be recycled separately and this effort will further transform Penang into a Cleaner, Greener and Healthier Penang,”” he said.
There will also be food and beverage career and education and job matching fairs as well Go Green Hospitality showcase at the AFF.
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon
There will be a variety of cooking activities such as the renowned Battle of the Chefs (15th Edition), Golden Chef Hat Competition, Live Cooking Challenge Trophy and King of Penang Curry Mee Championship.
Another highlight of the festival is the field cooking showcase and competition, the first ever by military personnel from the Defence Ministry.
To mark the festival, CitraRasa Penang is also featuring the Malaysian Fabulous Kitchen and Penang Fame Hawker Fare for two days from Oct 24. It will be a great opportunity to savour the many hawker food.
* This is a reproduction of my article published in New Straits Times