Rojak #89: Culinary Identity and the Politics of Taste

Serving culture, garnished with controversy

Photo by Fairuz Naufal Zaki on Unsplash

In this month’s Rojak: stories of revival, resistance, and recipes—where kitchens become battlegrounds, and what’s on the plate says as much about heritage as any monument. If you are what you eat, then this month’s Rojak might be having a bit of an identity crisis—though in the best way possible. Across the region, food is doing more than filling bellies; it’s stirring up debates over heritage, authenticity, and who gets to define “tradition” in the first place.

From fermented soybeans making their way to UNESCO to noodle dishes fighting for space on the cultural menu, we’re seeing how the act of preserving—or reviving—culinary heritage is rarely just about taste. It’s about politics, power, and pride. Some states are bottling culture for global recognition, while others are chewing on questions of who’s been left out of the national cookbook. And yes, one dish recently voted the best noodle in the world might not even be the one the tourism board wants you to focus on.

Elsewhere, from the cool mountain farms of Vietnam to the historic streets of Chiang Mai, food is working overtime as a symbol of identity and resilience. Even your kopi might be doing more cultural work than you realise.

Unironically, the rojak (for those of you who are new) refers to an exotic Indonesian/Malaysian/Singaporean salad - for want of a better word. The word means to mix, and the Rojak is a mix of articles that came across my desk, that are not about Southeast Asian Archaeology, but are somehow also related. It’s available for supporters only - if you want to be one, you can Buy Me a Coffee.