Muslim Youth Showcase Creativity at Fest In Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: Food is undoubtedly the hallmark of cultures, and diffe­rent dishes and delicacies could be found under one roof at Anjung Floria here where the Islamic Food & Fashion Festival 2017 was held.

The two-day festival, which end­ed yesterday, was jointly organized by the Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Youth and Sports Ministry, and Perbadanan Putrajaya.

It was aimed at showcasing the creativity of the Muslim youth in the culinary, fashion, and music fields.

Kyrgyz entrepreneur Ulanbek Ergeshov brought in not only the famed Central Asian hospitality but also snacks.

Rare and tasty Kyrgyz snacks such as a book, a fried dough mixture, and kuru, a dried and salty milk-based snack, could be found at his stall.

“Kyrgyzstan is famous for honey, which is very sweet, and I also brought some Kyrgyz walnuts and dried apricots for people to try,” said Ergeshov, who handed out souvenirs such as key chains and traditional Kyrgyz hats called kalpak to visitors.

About 20 stalls were showcasing the different types of halal food from OIC member countries.

Mansour Elh Amani, 28, from the Niger Republic, brought treats such as alkali, which is fried wheat dough soaked in honey, candied peanuts, and sesame cakes.

“It’s my first time in Malaysia and I’m happy that I can get to promote food from my country,” said the civil servant.

Yemeni student Ali Al-Gailani, 19, was also there to offer the best of the republic.

Besides showing traditional attire and culture, he said his compatriots also sold special Yemeni items such as honey, wheat, spices, coffee, dates, perfume, and jewelry.

Malaysian participant Adlin Amira Ahmad Ridzwan, 18, offered a locally-made snack called keeper bronies, which is a dried, crunchy form of conventional chocolate brownies.

“Not many people know about it so we wanted to promote it,” she said.

There was also an Islamic fashion show and a performance by the SMK Cheras music club called the Sapelele.

Armed with the shape, which is a traditional Borneo stringed instrument, and drums, the students per

Originally published on www.thestar.com.m