Kuala lumpur: The country’s iconic dish, nasi lemak, along with fruits from Malaysia and neighbouring ASEAN countries, such as salak and mata kucing, are among the culinary diplomacy highlights that have added flavour to this year’s ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the delegates seemed to be enjoying the meals prepared by the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), engaging in friendly conversations and exchanging views about their food preferences and tastes during breaks after a full day of meetings. MITEC executive chef Chiew Chee Mun said the selection of fruits this time included pineapple and papaya, in addition to salak and mata kucing, which are well known in Indonesia and Thailand, respectively.

Chiew noted, “The fruit selection this time wasn’t limited to Malaysian produce. We also wanted to highlight fruits from neighbouring countries. I wanted the delegates to have something to talk about at the dining table, something that could spark a conversation about fruits from their own countries while sitting together.” He expressed that, at the very least, these conversations would provide a commonality for sharing among delegates.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings, Chiew, who has 25 years of experience in the culinary world, pointed out that seasonal availability was a major factor in fruit selection. One of the main challenges for him and his team was to prepare food for 3,000 people in sufficient quantity and completeness, while ensuring the quality and freshness of the ingredients, in addition to time management and meticulous planning.

Chiew has been assisted by 250 culinary staff and professionals, working tirelessly behind the scenes in preparing and serving the food. “It is my responsibility as a chef to showcase Malaysia’s culinary heritage, to unify and celebrate commonalities in diversity through food, while also supporting local traders by sourcing ingredients from them – especially for this AEM Meeting,” he said.

In addition, MITEC also collaborated with the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and small-scale traders to obtain adequate and fresh supplies delivered directly to the kitchen. The AEM Meeting, which runs from Sept 22 to 26, brings together more than 500 delegates from ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners. Besides Malaysia, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, while dialogue partners include China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.