The usage of herbs and spices in food preparation among malay women in Kuala Terengganu district

Abstract

Herbs and spices are usually used in food preparation in every household in Malaysia. Herbs and spices were used as flavoring, food additive, coloring, garnishing and sometimes it use as preservative in food as well as for medicine purpose. This study arrived at determining the usage of herbs and spices in food preparation among Malay women in Kuala Terengganu Distrcit, Terengganu. This study identified the type of herbs and spices used in food preparation and those that are frequently used in food preparation. Other objective includes identified the purposes and the factors that influencing the usage of herbs and spices in food preparation. Other alternative ingredients that usually use as food enhancer in food preparation are also identified. Added, there are lack of study of usage herbs and spices in cooking among Malays. The research location in this study is the district of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. The population for this study consist the malay women in district of Kuala Terengganu consisting of areas Batu Rakit, Bandar Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Ibai. The research technique for this study is survey method and the instrumentation used was self administered questionnaire consisting of four sections.The higher usage of herbs and spices were the common types of herbs and spices used everyday dishes. Such herbs were onion, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, lime, galangal, curry leaf, spring onion, cilantro, kaffir lime leaf, pandan leaf, Vietnamese coriander and ginger flower. The spices that were frequently use were chilies, turmeric powder, ginger, tamarind, fresh turmeric, gelugur, cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, anise star and fennel. The low intake of certain herbs and spices was due the lack of exposure about the function and the nutrients derived from those herbs and spices. There were also herbs and spices that have specific and limited use. The herbs that were use rarely were coriander leaf, daun kaduk, finggerrot, bilimbi, celery, pucuk putat, daun kemuni, painkiller leaves, selada air, mint leaf and parsley leaf. The spices that were rarely used were poppy seed, long pepper, biji lemuju, dry bay leaf, biji kani, ginger powder, paprika powder, rempah kerutut, rempah nasi dagang, rempah kermuk, white sesame seed and nutmeg powder. The factors that most influences the usage of herbs and spices were as 'important component in dishes', 'availability', and to 'cure diseases'. Respondent mostly 'agree' that herbs and spices were used as 'ulam-ulaman', 'alternative ingredients', 'to give attractive colour' and to 'preservative'. The alternative ingredients used by respondents as food enhancer were 'monosodium glutamate', while 'sugar' were highly use together with herbs and spices for obtaining herbs and spices were 'buy in market'. The relationship between demographic factors such as age, education, occupation, and place of origin with frequencies of usage of herbs and spices were significant but weak.