KUCHING: Sarawak is moving towards the official commercial production of the traditional bumbu used in Bubur Pedas to reinforce the dish’s status as a signature product.
Sarawak Women’s Cooperative or Koperasi Perkumpulan Wanita Sarawak (KOPERWANIS) chairwoman Norjanah Razali said this traditional product must be elevated and given due recognition.
”Bubur Pedas is regarded as a traditional dish, particularly among the Sarawak Malay community and it is commonly prepared during the month of Ramadan.
“While Bubur Pedas remains a signature dish, the bumbu itself will be developed as a Sarawak ‘signature’ product.
“That is why we were determined to identify the best recipe and subsequently produce it as a KOPERWANIS product,”she said when met by reporters during the 2026 Sarawak Bubur Pedas Festival at Kedai Koperasi, Bangunan KOPERWANIS Metrocity here on Saturday.
She added that the festival, organised to identify the best bumbu recipe for the dish, is the first of its scale, as previous events were limited to cooking competitions.
”We know that the main ingredient in preparing Bubur Pedas is the spice mix, or bumbu. Therefore, we organised a bumbu competition to identify the best recipe that meets the standard Sarawak Bubur Pedas recipe,” she added.
The competition saw nine participants from Sarawak Women’s Federation (PPWS) branches across Sarawak, including areas such as Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Betong and Lawas.
The winning recipe, submitted by a participant from the PPWS Sri Aman branch, will be developed into an official Sarawak product.
“The winner was selected based on the authenticity of the recipe, following evaluation of written submissions and cross-checking with videos of the preparation process.
“The assessment was conducted carefully to ensure that the recipe is original and prepared personally by the participant before being recognised as the winner.
“This is the main purpose of organising the festival, as the bumbu is the most important element that determines the taste of Bubur Pedas,” she said.
She added that this initiative is part of KOPERWANIS’ plan to commercialise the winning recipe.
“This recipe will be developed into a commercial product in stages. We will begin with small-scale production, obtain halal certification and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification, before expanding according to market demand,” she added.
She highlighted that the festival also aims to promote Bubur Pedas and its bumbu to a wider audience, ensuring that the traditional product is not limited to the Ramadan season alone.
Meanwhile, wife of the Head of State, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, who is patron of PPWS, arrived at around noon to officiate at the closing ceremony of the festival.
The event was further enlivened with a live cooking demonstration of Bubur Pedas by Fauziah, assisted by Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The inaugural programme was the result of a strategic collaboration between KOPERWANIS, PPWS and the Institute of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (iCEPS), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch.
