6 Ideal Malaysian Food Products That Need More Branding!
By Julia Koh
Our country is blessed with an abundance of invaluable cultural heritage. But perhaps the most indispensable of all is food. We Malaysians take our food very seriously. When we’re told rendang has to be ‘crispy’, we lose our collective minds. We fight over who has the best laksa and whose Hokkien Mee is better (Melaka’s Nyonya Laksa & KL’s Hokkien Mee, lah!).
Yet, as seriously as we champion our cultural foods, we still haven’t brought them to their highest potential. Many of our top F&B companies in Malaysia champion products, both traditional and new, that are still kept in the dark. By comparison, in many Western countries’ fast food brand products are highly branded, commercialised, and even regulated!
Take the Belgians, who made a lucrative industry out of chocolate. They have laws regulating the use of the word ‘Belgian chocolate’, even though no special blend or ingredient makes their chocolate uniquely Belgian. It is just widely accepted that Belgian chocolates are those produced in this small European country. This has helped spur more than 2,000 chocolate fast food brands in that country.
Similarly, in Italy, the government monitors pasta production and has made it law to label all Italian pasta exports so consumers worldwide can differentiate authentic Italian pasta from pasta produced in other countries.
So why can’t we brand our Malaysian food products and beverages on a higher level so that the world can recognise them?
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Explore the untapped potential of our exotic condiments, coconuts, durian, paddy rice, cocoa, and vibrant dishes.
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6 Malaysian Food Products To Rebrand
Here are some under-rated Malaysian food products we think could use better fast food branding:
- Our Exotic Condiments
Belacan, cencalok, budu, tempoyak, and many more local condiments native to our country are still practically unknown. They may be an acquired taste, but with the right fast food branding and exposure, we can address the demand for exotic condiments in the global market.
We can make it indispensable to all the best fast food in Malaysia! After all, why should we know about Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce more than our own Malaysian sauces and condiments? - Our Coconuts
In Western countries, shaved coconuts are high-priced items found only in health and speciality stores. They’re a trendy ingredient to be added to yoghurts, smoothie bowls and vegan cakes. Moreover, coconut oil is valued for its health benefits and is seen as an alternative to conventional butter. But with made-in-Malaysia products for the coconut industry, these would be your everyday cooking ingredients in sundry shops and pasar malam! - Our Durian
Sure, our durian exports are very popular in international markets like China. But we could do so much more with the King of Fruits. It is, after all, a unique food in Malaysia that you rarely find anywhere else.
As for what we can do with it, we can properly brand them through flavouring ice cream, cakes, crepes, chocolate – anything to maximise the durian’s true potential as one of the top Malaysian food products. It could also be made as a flavour essence like chocolate or strawberry for any fast food brand in Malaysia. - Our Paddy Rice
Like those from Kedah and Sarawak, Malaysian paddy rice has unique strains. These rice varieties can be promoted and branded as speciality rice to the rest of the world.
If Siamese rice is known to be fragrant, our rice can be known for its compact size and smaller water retention, which is perfect for fried rice (and everyone loves fried rice)!Another example is the Bario rice of Sarawak, known for being GMO-free and small but packed with nutrients. There’s already a small niche demand for Bario rice in local and overseas markets, but we seriously think it could use better fast food branding and packaging to look good and presentable! This can also allow them to become a staple on the list of fast food in Malaysia, making rice varieties sought-after Malaysian food products by any food company. - Our Cocoa
Malaysia’s climate is ideal for mass cocoa production. We already have several small plantations in Selangor, Pahang and East Malaysia. But aside from producing raw cocoa as a commodity, we could do much more with our chocolate.
We can brand them as the Belgians did or make our patented blend of Malaysian product brands of chocolate, with spices or something exotic like durian or curry branded through fast food in Malaysia. - Our Colourful Dishes
Aside from these ‘exotic’ ingredients, we have many more dishes to offer the world. Though common ones like nasi lemak, laksa, and chee cheong fun are incredible, we also need more people to try the special delicacies from Sabah & Sarawak, such as latok, hinava and ambuyat – because we’re a haven for food-lovers, and we want everyone to know that.
In Conclusion
It’s true that we have existing F&B brands such as Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, Old Town, and many SMEs selling local product Malaysia. But let’s take it up a notch by making them local-brand Malaysian food products for the rest of the world, too, making them look good enough to buy and presenting their best features to the rest of the country and beyond!
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Embark on a delectable journey with Brand360 and be part of a revolutionary movement to showcase Malaysia’s culinary treasures to the world! The time is now to elevate our Malaysian food products to global recognition through strategic rebranding.
Visit Brand360 to contribute to this delicious revolution and unlock the global potential of Malaysian food. Together, let’s celebrate and share our rich culinary heritage with the world!