The transmission processes of the Traditional Food Knowledge (TFK) of the Malay traditional Hari Raya foods and generation practices / Mohd Shazali Md Sharif

• Main Author: Md Sharif, Mohd Shazali
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Nutrition. Foods and food supply; Cooking; Cooking processes; Cooking, Malay
• Online Access: https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/40017/1/40017.pdf; https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/40017/

There are great concerns among nations about the potential loss of both food and knowledge of the traditional foods, in particular among the younger generation. Many commentators argued that countries might lose some of their traditional food if the traditional preparation of it is not passed to younger generations. In fact, some ethnics are reported of losing their traditional food culture due to weakening of passing down knowledge and practices among young generations. Modernization particularly through technology and social advancement are believed to influence the deskilling cooking knowledge and practices among the young generation. Preserving the traditional food knowledge has also received greater concern among the older Malay generation, Malaysian Cultures association and The Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture and other government agencies. This in line with the notion that traditional food represents the identity of the ethnic culture that are developed by earlier generations. Owing to this phenomenon, the understanding on the sharing or transferring the traditional food provisioning skills, techniques, eating decorum and cultural beliefs from generation to generation are critically important in ensuring the survival, cohesion and preserving of those traditional foods. With that, this study qualitatively describes the process of transmission of the traditional food knowledge between generations on the Malay festive food especially the traditional Hari Raya food and understanding the impact of it toward generation practices. In achieving the outcomes, a qualitative approach using face to face interview with three generation women (grandmother, mother and granddaughter) in the four states were being chosen as the informants for this study. Using the purposive sampling 32 sets of the three generation women were successfully interviewed. Through thematic analysis some useful insights pertaining to the issues investigated was significantly obtained. It is discovered that despite the continuous waves of modernization, technology advancement, lifestyle, education, income and many others which driven a lot of changing, improvement and expansion with regard to the fresh, semi and fully processed food, the process of transferring of the traditional food knowledge especially traditional Hari Raya food among the Malay generations are still occurring. Women are still apparent acts as the main food knowledge transmitter or play some important roles in transferring the traditional food knowledge among the generations and despites some alteration, certain traditional food always been practiced by the modern communities. In other word, the knowledge transferred, and the practices of the Malay traditional Hari Raya foods are relevant and significant until now. These optimistic and promising indicators from the practical aspects are giving varying consequences and implications particularly to the Malay families, the community and the government as a whole.