Chef Jimmy Chock demonstrating how to cook Panfried Norwegian Salmon and Fjord Trout.

Part of the dish done by the Chef Jimmy Chock, Gulai Tumis Norwegian/ Fjord Trout.

UOW Malaysia KDU’s SHTCA chef, Chef Fami assisting the participants for their cooking.

Group photo together with Norway’s Ambassador to Malaysia Her Excellency Gunn Jorid Roset.

By Davin Dhanraj

Malaysia’s diversity has blessed the country with one of the most exquisite cuisines in the world, and elements of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cooking are both distinct and blended together. Food, of course is very much reflective of the diversity of the people staying here and have been very receptive towards international cuisine. With that in mind, hailing from the majestic fjords and coastal settlements of Norway, Norwegian Salmon and Fjord Trout have remained such popular choices amongst Malaysians. With almost 90% of market share here in Malaysia, it’s full of vitamins, lends itself to countless easy preparations, and has an undeniably rich, delicious flavours.

To further showcase the versatility of both the fish, UOW Malaysia KDU University College housed Norwegian Seafood Council’s Workshop, “Fostering Friendship with Norwegian Salmon and Fjord Trout Cooking Class for SOHOM and PERWAKILAN”. The main objectives were to foster friendship and strengthen bilateral relations through the mutual love for food, inform and educate the origins of the fish and demonstrate different ways to prepare the fish to ensure their luxurious qualities and rich flavours while complying with the food safety regulations.

Norway’s Ambassador to Malaysia Her Excellency Gunn Jorid Roset and her spouse Dr Christian Gartmann hosted the event along with Mr Jon Erik Steenslid, Director of Southeast Asia, Norwegian Seafood Council. The event was graced by the presence of invitees from SOHOM (Spouse of Head of Diplomatic Missions) and PERWAKILAN (Persatuan Wanita Kementerian Luar Negeri). Chef Jimmy Chok led the session by demonstrating the preparations of the scrumptious Panfried Norwegian Salmon and Gulai Tumis Norwegian Salmon. The audience listened attentively and were able to sample the dishes right there at the culinary theatre as they were then required to replicate these dishes during a hands-on cooking session. Everyone enjoyed the experience and even added some of their own touches for the presentation of the dish.

The School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts which is housed at UOW Malaysia KDU University Glenmarie campus is spread over 65,000 sq ft of space which contains 13 kitchens and specialised labs for sugarcraft, chocolate-craft, barista training, oenology and ice carving.

Jon added, “We have been working with UOW Malaysia KDU University for quite a few years now. Our partnership with UOW Malaysia KDU University began when we were searching for good venues for food demonstrations and to conduct training for our chefs. It wasn’t easy to locate the right venue with an interactive learning environment, amenities and technology as we wanted to ensure a successful learning experience. Hence when UOW Malaysia KDU University built their university right here in Glenmarie, we decided to pursue this offer as we found the space to be very conducive and appealing with their state-of-the-art theatre style seating along with cameras and projectors. This allowed the cooking class to be not only educational but also interactive with our guests”.

He mentioned that Malaysia is a country rich with an array of diversified cuisine hence it is important  to introduce traditional Malaysian flavours to the fish to ensure that it suffices the Malaysian palate. It is imperative to showcase and highlight the versatility of the fish and how it can be localised to accommodate the Malaysian palate to not only create awareness to chefs, but also to supermarkets.

This experience was valuable for culinary students here in UOW Malaysia KDU as this allowed them to experiment and create unique salmon dishes and understand the fundamentals of raw materials and how it can be utilized in the future for their customers. This served as a good learning platform to refine their culinary skills and gradually elevate their confidence in creating innovative dishes.