Come February, the world’s gastronomy community will have its eyes on Malaysia at the World Guinness Book of Records for the Inaugural World’s Largest Cooking Competition featuring over 500 global participants cooking concurrently at the same venue.
Aimed at putting Malaysia’s renowned cuisine on the world map, the organisers, Malaysia Bersatu Culinary Association (MBCA), will be hosting the Malaysia Culinary World Cup from 21 to 23 February 2023 at the Putra World Trade Centre with over 15,000 local and international visitors to the three-day event.
Organising Chairperson and President of MBCA Chef Arthur Lim, a former 5-Star Hotel Chef, said the association’s vision is to showcase Malaysian food and culture to the world and position Malaysia as one of the top food tourism destinations in the world.
“Malaysia is known globally for its amazing variety of food, fuelled by a multi-ethnic population rich with festivals and celebrations. One of the most important components of Malaysian culture is food, and we want to introduce this unique culture to the world,” added Chef Lim.
He also said that the association also hopes to discover new talents by encouraging and inspiring passionate cooks and bakers to dream big.
“In Malaysia, we have many amazing chefs and great home cooks too. I will not be surprised if some of the home cooks and bakers win the gold medals,” Chef Lim added.
To echo their mission, the organisers also appointed amateur cook Marcus Teoh as its ambassador following his success in establishing an online home cook and baker community that helps turn members’ cooking and baking passion into profitable ventures.
Chef Lim also said that the event would provide avenues for the food and beverage industry to network and look for business opportunities with counterparts, clients and stakeholders across borders.
“Another vision of ours is to enable SMEs to develop immediate and direct Business to Business (B2B) relationships with new customers. SMEs are one of the main economic contributors to our country, and we want to provide them with a platform to explore potential overseas markets,” he added.
Participants of the competition will be able to learn from more than 100 locally and internationally acclaimed chefs who will be tasked with judging the 64 categories in the competition. There are judges from Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Morocco, Korea, Mexico and neighbouring countries. Notable international chefs include the World President of the International Union of Bakery and Confectionery, Gunther Koerffer from Sweden, World Association of Chef Society – International Judge Montaser Mohemed Masoud from Egypt and Michelin Star Chef Vedat Gokcen from Belgium. Malaysia will be represented by renowned local chefs, Malaysia’s Italian Master Chef recognised by the Italian Government, Azizan Shukri, Veteran Nyonya Heritage chef Amy Beh and Chief Operating Officer of KL TOWER 360 Chef Dato Ringo Khaw.
Visitors will get to taste food prepared by participants who are professional chefs, culinary and baking school students, passionate home cooks and bakers. The event advocates “zero waste,” so all the food prepared during the event will be consumed.
In line with the organiser’s aim to promote local cuisine, some Malaysian favourites will take centre stage in several main categories, including Malaysian Gastronomy (Nasi lemak, Satay, Nyonya Cuisine, Char Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Chop), Indian Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine, Patisserie (Wedding cake, bread showpiece, Malaysian Kueh), Vegetarian, Showmanship (Teh Tarik and Roti Canai). Apart from that, there will be other interesting categories, Japanese Cuisine and the Artistic category (fruit and vegetable carving).
Registration is now open until 15 January 2023. Participants can register for up to five events per person/team. The participation fee is RM150/person per sub-category. Each event is judged based on a scoring system where participants who earn the minimum point will receive a medal. All participants will receive a certificate of participation. Interested candidates can register here: TinyURL.com/WorldCupRegistration
Brands looking to introduce their latest products and services to prominent personalities and influencers within the industry are welcome to collaborate with the organisers. This includes restaurants, cafes, food and ingredient supplies, cookware brands, kitchen design, set-up and operations, the tourism and hospitality sector, digital marketing and branding, software solutions, culinary and baking schools and brands looking to leverage on a large number of top chefs, decision-makers and the significant food enthusiast traffic. For exhibition booths and sponsorship packages, please contact Teoh 0126289713 or Voon 01155050916.
This competition is supported by a host of reputable brands, including Tecnoinox, GARDENS, COO Induction Cooker, airasia ride from the airasia Super App, Angie Designmaker and Nextdor Property Communications.