KUCHING: A quiet morning turned lively at the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) as thousands arrived early to explore traditional food showcased across community houses in a colourful “mini Sarawak” experience.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, said the Nyamai Sarawak Gastronomy Festival 2025 aimed to introduce a wide range of Sarawak food representing the state’s many ethnic groups.
“Earlier, we were at the Malay house. We also have Chinese, Malay, Orang Ulu, Iban and Bidayuh houses, all showcasing their respective traditional food.
“We also want to encourage people to get to know this place and, more importantly, to understand Sarawak itself.
“SCV is a ‘mini Sarawak’, where we can see the houses that represent the different communities,” she said.
She said this when met with reporters after officiating at the Nyamai Sarawak Gastronomy Festival 2025 at Rumah Melayu, Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) today.
At the Malay house, the festival also featured a special promotional showcase by Produk Wanita Dinamik and Wanita Bangkit Bersasar under Yayasan Kebajikan Negara Malaysia (YKN), a programme designed to empower women through entrepreneurship and economic participation.
As such, the festival encouraged people, especially students, to learn more about Sarawak’s cultural heritage, with free entry offered to all.
“Since early today, as early as 7:00 am, visitors have already arrived with buses waiting for them outside. Parking areas are also provided. All of these are done to promote Sarawak through the SCV.
“For today alone, we are targeting around 5,000 visitors, and aiming for 14,000 over two days,” she said.
She added that while the inaugural edition drew strong interest, last year’s festival faced congestion as too many visitors arrived at once.
“This results in limited entry and shuttle bus challenges. From that experience, we improved the organisation for this year. The weather today is also very favourable,” she added.
She said that this year’s edition featured more than 100 booths offering various dishes, including lesser-known delicacies such as grilled mackerel roe (‘pais telur ikan tenggiri’) and jellyfish prepared without cooking.
“Many of the food are expected to be first-time experiences for visitors from outside Sarawak,” she said.
For the record, in its third edition, the two-day (December 6 to 7) Nyamai Sarawak Gastronomy Festival 2025 runs from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
