MORE FOOD, FUN AND GAMES AT

CITRARASA MALAYSIA

The Food & Fruits Fiesta launch on July 4 in Sabah marked the beginning of an exciting month of gastronomic delights all around Malaysia. It continues with Citrarasa Malaysia - a national event celebrated in Kuala Lumpur that brings together professional chefs, food lovers, fruit décor artists, food traders and the public for the sake of food!

Citrarasa Malaysia will be launched at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MTC), Jalan Ampang, at 8 pm, on July 18 by the Agriculture Minister, Y.B. Datuk (Dr.) Effendi bin Norwawi. The event will continue for three days until July 20.

The event will also be attended by the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, YBhg. Datuk Haji Mohmad Shaid bin Mohd. Taufek and other Cabinet Ministers.

After the official launch, the Mayor, the Minister and other guests will be given a tour of the exhibits and food and fruit stalls set up for the threeday event. Cultural performances and concerts by local celebrities including Jamal Abdillah, Ogy Ahmad Daud, Valerie Wong and Sharmila are also scheduled for the night. For the next two days, several events are scheduled from 10 am right up till midnight for the entertainment and enjoyment of the Malaysian public and tourists, young and old.

Among the highlights are icecream eating competition; Maggi instant noodle cooking competition with prizes given out to the most delicious and creative recipes; the Pineapple Counting Competition; a chocolate sale by the Malaysian Cocoa Board and a fruits sale by FAMA.

During the event, there will also be two attempts to create records in the Malaysia Book of Records. One is for the largest chocolate sculpture of the Putrajaya landscape, created by the Malaysian Chefs Association and the Malaysian Cocoa Board, the other is for the nonstop 52hour marathon satay grilling on the longest grill pit by the Malaysian Chefs Association.

The public is invited to savour the satay for free throughout the whole event. Several food traders will be promoting cuisines from all the states in Malaysia. Here's where you can sample some interesting and authentic food from Johor, Terengganu, Penang and other states, all under one roof.

Among them are the daging masak kelapa bakar, a typical Bajau dish from Sabah; mee kolok and laksa from Sarawak; ikan patin masak tempoyak from Pahang; Haji Wahid's mee rebus from Johor; ayam percik from Kelantan; and rendang tok from Perak.

Local celebrities like Sasi the Don, Misha Omar, Mas Idayu and Too Phat will be on hand to croon their favourite tunes throughout the two days. Those with creative ideas and skilled with their hands can enter the fruit and vegetable arrangement competition. A twist on the traditional flower arrangement competition, it will be quite interesting to see how pineapples, papayas and other local fruits would be transformed into works of art!

Citrarasa Malaysia also presents an opportunity for the public to learn from some of the top hotel chefs in the country as they go about their cooking demonstrations of some popular dishes. There will also be a teh tarik (pulled tea) competition that's made more difficult when contestants are asked to do it to the beat of music!

And for those who think they've got what it takes, there's a watermelon eating competition where you can stuff yourself with the juicy fruit and walk away with great prizes. Stay till midnight and you'll be rewarded with a sale of local fruits at really low prices. Here's where you can even test your bargaining prowess!

At this year's Citrarasa Malaysia, you'll never go hungry for food, nor be at a loss for choice as there's plenty of food and fruits to sample and taste. So expect your taste buds to be tickled by the amazing array of Malaysian cuisine on display and for sale at Citrarasa Malaysia.

For more information on Citrarasa Malaysia,
kindly contact En. Suhaimi bin Abu Hassan Shari, at (03) 2696 3273.