Much More Than Food: The Malaysian Breakfast, a Socio-Cultural Perspective

Jean-Pierre Poulain (), Elise Mognard, Jacqui Kong, Jan Li Yuen, Laurence Tibère, Cyrille Laporte, Fong-Ming Yang, Anindita Dasgupta, Pradeep Kumar Nair, Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan and Ismail Mohd Noor
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Jean-Pierre Poulain: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Elise Mognard: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Jacqui Kong: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Jan Li Yuen: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Laurence Tibère: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Cyrille Laporte: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Fong-Ming Yang: Chair “Food Studies: Food, Cultures & Health”, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Anindita Dasgupta: Center for Asian Modernisation Studies (CAMS), Taylor’s University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Pradeep Kumar Nair: Center for Asian Modernisation Studies (CAMS), Taylor’s University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan: Center for Asian Modernisation Studies (CAMS), Taylor’s University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Ismail Mohd Noor: Center for Asian Modernisation Studies (CAMS), Taylor’s University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-23

Abstract: Using secondary analysis of data from the Malaysian Food Barometer (MFB), this article highlights ethnocultural dimensions and social functions of breakfasts in the Malaysian population. MFB uses a 24-h dietary recall that lets the interviewee give the name of the food intake. It shows that breakfasts from the Asian food register dominate with 50.7% (Malays, 50.4%; Indians, 51.9%; Chinese, 47.6%; non-Malay Bumiputra 50.1%), whereas 26.1% eat a westernised breakfast and 17.6% eat no breakfast. If we add those who just have a beverage, 20% do not eat a “proper” breakfast. The Asian breakfasts are characterised by including cooked dishes. These sometimes require real craftmanship to prepare. Therefore, they are mostly purchased outside and consumed either at home, at the workplace, or outside, in restaurants or food courts, such as “mamaks” or “nasi kandar “. Breakfast dishes can be attached to the food culture of the three main ethnic groups of Malaysia, but the boundaries between breakfast cultural styles are fluid and there is a sort of pooling of the breakfast dishes. This porosity of the boundaries between culinary styles is one of the main characteristics of Malaysian breakfast culture. It is so important that when asked, “What could represent Malaysia the best for submission to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list?”, the sample of a national representative population places two breakfast dishes first (nasi lemak and roti canai). This knowledge of the ethno-cultural dimensions of breakfast will help public health nutritionists and policymakers consider cultural characteristics and avoid the risk of a (non-conscious) neo-colonial attitude in promoting western style breakfasts. However, bearing in mind the influence of the British colonisation, the so-called westernised breakfast could also be considered as part of a cosmopolitanised breakfast culture. Finally, the understanding of breakfast culture will feed the debate around, and the progress towards, sociocultural sustainable healthy diets.

Keywords: anthropology of food; breakfast pattern; food day; food culture; sociocultural sustainable healthy diet; sociology of food; breakfast style (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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