School of Hospitality: Cuisine & Culture Field Trip

In the month of October 2018, 35 Culinary Management students accompanied by lecturers, Ms Anisha and Ms Rachel from the School of Hospitality, Sunway University had the privilege of visiting several towns in the lower Kinta and Kampar district, a region known for its tin-mining in the good old days. The purpose of this field trip is to explore how colonisation and migration have influenced the food culture of the locals, i.e. socio-culturally and economically.

Figure 1 - Interviewing the owner of a local Chinese confectionary company

Apart from that, students are also encouraged to find out more about the possible connections of the food in this region to the identity of the community, the process of commercialisation of food products for tourism purposes, as well as plausible measures that should be taken to promote and preserve the existing food culture.  Through this trip, students have the opportunity to gain insights for their own research relating to food manufacturers and industries. Hence, being able to understand the broader picture of the supply chain and the general local food culture in this region.

The hospitality and kindness rendered by various business owners and shopkeepers surprised many students. They are more than willing to show the students how food is being prepared, manufactured and distributed – by even allowing students to film the whole production process.

Figure 2 - Filming the making of Chee Cheong Fun

Ms Thomas said: “The trip is truly a success. We believe that its objective has been achieved. Surely, all the students have had an eye-opening experience – being able to see the natural beauty that the region has to offer and to appreciate the local food culture”.

Figure 3 - Students posing in front of the Kinta Mining Museum

Figure 4 - Visiting the River Prawn Farm at Tanjung Tualang

Figure 5 - Interviewing the makers of Choy Pan, a He Po delicacy