Kuching city has been recognised on a global stage for its narrative on Kuching as a Creative City of Gastronomy at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2022. This free publication, awarded in this category, joins winners chosen from 215 countries around the world in the line up for one of the most well-regarded recognitions in the food industry for cookbooks and other food culture publications. This is being exhibited in Rome at the World Food Forum, held from 17-21 October and certificates will be presented at a ceremony in 2023 in Paris.
The narrative report was prepared to accompany Kuching’s application to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Written by UCCN Kuching’s Strategic Director, Karen Shepherd, and designed by Marian Chin of KINO magazine, it features the story of Kuching’s food culture, drawing on its rich history, culture and anthropology. It was an integral part of Kuching’s designation in this international network, along with a bid video created by FilmCo Sdn Bhd and MStudios. In winnning a Gourmand award, it joins Usuki City in Japan and Phetchaburi in Thailand for UNESCO Creative Cities publications as well as two other publications from Malaysia, Infofish by Firoza Buranudeen and Tourism Malaysia for their marketing plan.
Karen Shepherd said: ‘It was such an honour to tell the story of Kuching’s food culture. It is an amazing tale of our bountiful environment, our local people, our creativity, our culture and our simple enjoyment of our food by our communities throughout the history of Sarawak. This is a story that should be known throughout the world. To be recognised internationally, first by UNESCO and then by this prestigious panel of judges is hopefully one further step in getting the magic of Kuching food culture out into the global consciousness where it belongs.”
This award is not the first for a Sarawak food publication. The Sarawak Eurasian Association was honoured in 2011 for a Best in the World for its Legacy Cookbook by the same panel. The UCCN Kuching team hope to follow in its footsteps and is currently preparing the ultimate guide to Kuching gastronomy which aims at a publication date in early 2023. This will showcase recipes, ‘how to’ and ‘where to’ guides, alongside all the best photography, design and illustration that the Kuching creative economy has to offer. UCCN Kuching now aims to stimulate greater publication on Kuching food across all media and calls on all bloggers, writers, designers and videographers to continue doing what they do best in inspiring people around the planet to appreciate Kuching food.
To read the narrative report, please visit www.kuchingcreativecity.com.
