Kota Kinabalu: About 90 per cent of participants at a kochung-making workshop here over the weekend were non-Chinese, reflecting growing cross-cultural interest in the traditional Chinese sticky rice dumpling.
The workshop, organised by Sabah Nominated Assemblywoman Grace Lee on Saturday, attracted around 20 participants, many of whom were making kochung for the first time.
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The session was led by Jasmine Chong, 58, who shared that she learned to make the dumplings from her mother at a young age and later sold them with her siblings to help support their schooling.
Chong, who now sells kochung online, said demand has grown over the years and she expects to receive more than 2,000 orders during the current Dragon Boat Festival season.
She also highlighted the labour-intensive process involved, noting that preparing and cooking kochung can take up to an entire day.
Participant Wennie Ratu, 44, said the experience was new to her as she was more familiar with Malay dishes such as pulut panggang and kelupis, adding that making the dumplings herself felt more satisfying than buying them.
Another participant, Marina Mahmat, 43, said the skill could benefit Muslim communities by allowing them to prepare halal versions and potentially create small business opportunities.
A total of 1,000 kochung were distributed on Sunday to Carmalite Monastery, Stella Maris Catholic Church and the Gaya Street Sunday Market Hawkers Association, with the remaining dumplings distributed to the wider community.
