| Rokiah Mahmud |
AS PART of an effort to promote Omani cuisine and the unique mixture of modernity and tradition through its rich and wide varieties of mouth-watering dishes, the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Brunei Darussalam in partnership with The Empire Hotel & Country Club launched the Omani Food Festival yesterday.
Held from November 23 to December 2, the festival will highlight the importance of food in constructing and shaping a country’s character, and how geographical attributes and historical evolution of cuisines help in forming a national identity.
The event also serves to promote the Omani arts and culture in Brunei Darussalam while at the same time strengthening the good and positive relationships between Brunei Darussalam and the Sultanate of Oman.
Launching the Omani Food Festival was the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof.
The Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Brunei Darussalam, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashel bin Rashed bin Hashel Al-Maskari, in his welcoming remarks said the Omani cuisine has evolved through centuries of cultural and geographic diversity.
“This combination of different cultural backgrounds and culinary inspiration has resulted in the creation of unique Omani dishes with a wide-range of flavours,” he said.
On culinary diplomacy as a type of cultural diplomacy, Sheikh Ahmed said that showcasing their traditional cuisines is an effective tool in promoting relationship between nations, with the meals shared giving a stronger cultural understanding between the countries.
The General Manager of The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Nigel Badminton, spoke of his delight in co-hosting the festival with the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Brunei Darussalam.
“The Empire Hotel & Country Club is pleased to co-host the food festival with the prime purpose of promoting Omani food in Brunei, as food is considered as one of the vital cultural ties between countries,” he said.
The festival will feature a wide variety of Omani desserts and favourite Omani dishes such as Mashawi Bahri, a dish made of grilled seafood; Qabuli Laham, a special dried fragrant rice with meat; Paplou, a seafood soup; and Mishkak, skewered meat grilled on charcoal.
Chef Mail Aljahdami and his Assistant Chef Tariq Al Bahlani, two chefs specially flown from the Sultanate of Oman, will prepare the dishes during the festival.
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