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wealth whereas Buddhist prepared cut vegetables and spices or known as Pibimbap for
their ritual during Buddha‘s Birthday. During Hanukah or light festivals, Jewish eat
latkes or known as potato pancake (Shing, 2007). Shing (2007) expressed that foodways
in any feast also carried social messages. He gave Chinese community as an example,
honor and respect are showed by the host using his own chopstick to serve the guests. On
the other hand, long noodles which means ―May you live long‖ is served during birthday
and sharkfin soup are served in weddings as well as lotus Rhizomes for prosperity.
Similar goes to the practice of eating together which means solidarity, sharing and
participation not only to the Chinese but also to the other ethnic communities.
2.2 Foodways and the Malay Wedding
According Zaferi (2002) marriage and wedding in the Malay society involve religion
(Akad Nikah), cultural and customs aspect (reception). Malay wedding as noted by Quah
(2008) engage various pertinent parties including parents, families, relatives and
community and the presence of them in the ceremony is to maintain the close fraternity
among them. Quah‘s further argue being much imbued with religion, traditions and
customs, the marriage process encompasses four main stages from planning, prewedding,
to the wedding day and the post wedding. These four main stages are important
in making sure the marriage and wedding are the successful one. Nevertheless, it is
undeniable that food is virtually ever present in every stage of the processes and the bulk
of food preparation, cooking and consumption of it or known as foodways are occurs on
the wedding stage.
Abdullah (2009) denotes that foodways are the most remarkable feature of the Malay
tradition in which not only a family but it involved the community with the extensive
social networks. Malay wedding foodways depicted the ‗tightly knit‘ or dense social
networks with everyone interacting with each other (Thompson, 2007). In the olden days,
one week before the wedding, the community usually works together erecting sheds in
the courtyard and a special warehouse or Bangsal Penanggah is built for the preparation,
cooking and other task on the wedding day (Kasimin, 2002). Location for washing,
dishing out the dishes and eating depot are also set up. Preparation of food for the Malay
wedding as part of foodways normally begins in the afternoon prior to the wedding day
(Kasimin, 2002). The main ingredients like meat cutting, chickens are cut by the men and
ladies with preparation of herbs and spices like garlic, shallots, gingers, lemon grass and
other supporting ingredients for the wedding dishes. Cooking process is then undertaken
in the midnight till sunrise with couples of local men who are the wedding cooking
experts or the tukang masak kenduri together with few assistants will cook the wedding
dishes. The dishes usually consist of rice or Nasi Minyak, meat and chicken dish,
vegetables, sweet pickles and fruits (Susanto (2007). On the consumption, the invited
guests who are among the distant relatives, friends and acquaintance from around the
country are welcomed by wedding host, close relatives and friends. As the guests sat,
they are invited to eat the wedding dishes which are placed on the table. On this occasion
the young boys are normally involved in placing the dishes on the table, cleaning and
washing the dishes whereby the young girls be given a task in giving token with bunga
telur or decorated hardboiled egg to the guests (Yassin, 1999). As the wedding end the
community again getting together in clearing up the wedding facilities. Thompson (2007)
COPY RIGHT © 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 124
JANUARY 2011
VOL 2, NO 9