Ramadan Bazaar Offers Taste Of Home For Malaysians In Beijing

By Nurhafizah Tan

BEIJING, March 10 (Bernama) -- Being far from home has not stopped the Malaysian community in Beijing from enjoying the festive atmosphere of a Ramadan bazaar. Held recently at the Malaysian Embassy here, the event featured a variety of traditional Malaysian dishes.

The bazaar, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ladies Association (PERWAKILAN) Beijing, offered popular favourites such as nasi kerabu, satay, cendol and a variety of traditional kuih, recreating the familiar iftar atmosphere often missed by Malaysians living abroad.

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For Beijing Jiaotong University student Putera Mikael Heikal Syhaiful Afanddi, 24, although the bazaar was not as large as those in Malaysia, the atmosphere helped ease his longing for the Ramadan experience back home.

“I was very excited to see the crowd and the atmosphere here. Many of the food items available at the bazaar here are difficult to find in Beijing, such as kek batik and cendol,” he told Bernama.

Observing Ramadan in China for the second year, the Temerloh-born student said celebrating the holy month in the country offers a different experience due to cultural and weather differences, but described it as a meaningful memory.

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Meanwhile, Muhammad Farid Haikal Mohd Rosli, 24, said the bazaar served as a platform for Malaysians in Beijing to strengthen ties within the community while enlivening the Ramadan spirit.

“Usually we students here cook our own meals for iftar, but today we get to enjoy food prepared by fellow Malaysians, which is definitely different from what we cook ourselves,” he said.

Embassy staff member Tuan Nozora Tuan Hasan shared her excitement in preparing food for the bazaar, saying she woke as early as 4 am to prepare dishes such as nasi dagang and nasi kerabu.

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She said that despite challenges in sourcing certain ingredients, including specific types of fish, it did not stop them from sharing Malaysian east coast delicacies with visitors.

“In Beijing, it is quite difficult to obtain certain types of fish and ingredients and some even have to be ordered more than two weeks in advance. However, with the help of more senior staff members, we managed to get them,” she said.

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Bazaar coordinators Estia Amy Nyopieh and Muanati Afzan Mohammad said it was the second such event organised during Ramadan this year. The most recent bazaar involved 16 vendors offering more than 50 varieties of Malaysian dishes.

The two-hour event attracted more than 300 visitors from various communities.

They added that through this programme, they hoped to ease Malaysians’ longing for food from home while also introducing Malaysia’s traditional dishes to the international community.

-- BERNAMA