A traditional Bugis dish, “lempeng sagu biji mata ikan”, is to be declared as Selangor‘s official heritage dish, says executive councillor Borhan Aman Shah.
He said the plan would be discussed with relevant agencies to ensure that the gazettement process is carried out in accordance with established procedures.
“Today, we have agreed to nominate lempeng sagu biji mata ikan as one of the traditional dishes to be gazetted by the state government soon,” he said after attending the Selangor heritage food festival.
“We will conduct a workshop to ensure it is officially recognised as one of Selangor’s heritage dishes,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
Borhan said the gazettement effort is crucial to prevent traditional delicacies from fading into obscurity and to reintroduce them to younger generations.
“Lempeng sagu biji mata ikan” was once a popular dish between the 1950s and 1970s, but many among the younger generation today are unfamiliar with it.
“It is a Bugis heritage delicacy that is commonly served for breakfast or afternoon tea. We want to revive this dish so that it will be passed down and continue to be appreciated,” he said.
Borhan said this year’s heritage food festival served as a platform to reintroduce traditional dishes to the public while encouraging local communities to preserve the authenticity of Selangor’s culinary heritage.
He said the state government plans to expand the heritage food festival to other districts.
