Americans aren’t used to bright red/orange cooking oils that have a creamy, buttery texture suitable for sweet or savory. But in Malaysia, cold-pressed red palm oil is embedded in their culture. Malaysian families have enjoyed this wholesome oil for generations.
Palm oil is extremely important to Malaysia’s economy. Each year, Malaysia produces almost 20 million tons of palm oil, valued at approximately 72 billion Malaysian ringgit (HK$133 billion). Traded in 160 different countries, palm oil growth and production provide jobs to more than half a million people in Malaysia. Forty percent of oil palm cultivation in Malaysia is owned by nearly 640,000 small land holders, helping to alleviate poverty.
Through the Malaysian Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund (MPOWCF), the palm oil industry and the Malaysian government have come together to demonstrate their commitment to the environment and protection of wildlife and biodiversity.
It can be challenge to deliver exotic-tasting cuisine using only local ingredients, but Chef Gerard Viverito has embraced ingredients from one of the world’s most eco-friendly countries, Malaysia, such as certified sustainable palm oil, in many of his recipes.
Members of the Malaysian Parliament received free samples of Malaysian palm oil-sourced vitamin E tocotrienols, courtesy of Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali.
