OGOS 2026
GASTRONOMY A POWERFUL DRIVER OF CULTURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH – PREMIER SARAWAK
KUCHING, 4 August 2026 – Gastronomy deserves to be recognised not merely as a tourism attraction, but as an important economic sector capable of supporting a wider ecosystem involving culture, tourism, entrepreneurship and creative industries.
Premier Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg said food is more than a source of nourishment, as it plays an important role in preserving culture and identity by keeping traditional knowledge, practices and heritage alive.
He said Sarawak, with its more than 30 ethnic communities, is home to a diverse culinary heritage, with each community possessing unique food traditions that have evolved and been preserved over generations.
“Every recipe tells a story. Every ingredient reflects the environment from which it comes. Every cooking tradition carries generations of accumulated wisdom and cultural identity,” he said.
The Premier said the diversity of Sarawak’s culinary traditions represents a valuable cultural asset that can be further developed as part of the State’s tourism and economic development agenda.
He added that gastronomy could serve as a platform to showcase Sarawak’s rich cultural identity to visitors from around the world while creating opportunities for local communities, food producers, entrepreneurs and the wider tourism industry.
He said the recognition of gastronomy as an economic sector would also encourage greater appreciation and preservation of traditional culinary knowledge while allowing it to evolve in line with contemporary trends.
“Although we come from different countries, cultures and traditions, we are united by one common understanding—that gastronomy is far more than nourishment. Food represents our identity, our heritage, our creativity and our collective future,” he said.
The Premier said this when officiating the 3rd Annual Meeting of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) – Cities of Gastronomy, held in Kuching today.
He expressed hope that the meeting would further strengthen international collaboration and the exchange of ideas among Cities of Gastronomy, while promoting gastronomy as a catalyst for cultural preservation, innovation, tourism and sustainable economic development.