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‘Serumpun Sarawak' launched to take indigenous flavours global
Abdul Karim (centre) and others give their thumbs-up at the launch of Serumpun Sarawak in Kuala Lumpur on July 10, 2025.
KUCHING (July 11): Sarawak is stepping boldly onto the global culinary stage with the launch of 'Serumpun Sarawak' – a visionary initiative that redefines indigenous heritage, food traditions, and cultural creativity as powerful tools for global influence and sustainable economic
growth.
Spearheaded by the State Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Serumpun Sarawak will headline two major showcases in Osaka in Japan and Mulu, offering curated tasting experiences, storytelling installations, and collaborative performances that represent Sarawak's cultural identity in a modern context.
'When Kuching earned its designation as a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy, it wasn't simply a feather in our cap. It was a call to action – a signal to the world that Sarawak's culinary roots run deep,' said State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, during the official launch in Kuala Lumpur on July 10.
Led by internationally acclaimed indigenous chef James Won, in collaboration with Atlas Collective, Serumpun Sarawak merges ancestral knowledge with cutting-edge innovation.
'Serumpun Sarawak is where ancestral knowledge meets cutting-edge creativity and where native ingredients become narrative tools and are translated into multisensory cultural experiences,' Abdul Karim added.
According to a statement from the ministry, the project's first major showcase will take place from August 5 to 8 in Osaka as part of the World Expo 2025, offering a window into Sarawak's rich soul through dining, storytelling, and artistic performances.
Following its debut, Serumpun Sarawak will return home to Unesco World Heritage-listed Mulu National Park in October this year, where it will host a site-specific experience celebrating indigenous culinary traditions, ecological appreciation, and cultural storytelling.
The Mulu activation underscores the initiative's commitment to respecting local communities, biodiversity, and indigenous knowledge.
Partnerships with Earthlings Coffee Workshop, Tanoti Crafts, The Tuyang Initiative, and Culinary Heritage & Arts Society Sarawak (CHASS) reflect a shared mission to preserve and amplify Sarawak's unique identity.
At the launch event, guests were given a preview of what lies ahead, including a captivating ethnic cooking showcase and a short film titled 'The Serumpun Story', which encapsulates the spirit of the journey.
Earthlings Coffee Workshop also showcased Sarawak's emerging global status as a terroir for sustainable, high-quality coffee.
Serumpun Sarawak represents the next evolution of Sarawak's tourism and cultural landscape, where heritage is not frozen in time but continually reimagined, shared and celebrated.
'It is an invitation to the world to experience Sarawak not just through its landscapes but through its flavours, its stories and its people.
'As the journey prepares to take Sarawak's cultural expression across borders – from Mulu to Osaka and beyond – one message rings clear: Sarawak is ready to lead, inspire, and redefine how the world experiences Borneo,' the ministry said. Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah culinary Serumpun Sarawak
