" A DAUGHTER REMEMBERS ... " 

There is never a moment in my life that I do not relate to the informal education my late beloved father gave me. He had made an immense impact, towards my perspective in every element in my life.

 

These life lessons learned from childhood times with my father is the core foundation of my character, principles and values. 

"Pergi belajar masak. Kalau tak pandai masak, macam mana Azizah nak beritahu tukang masak dia masak tak betul... !" 

"Bah nak dengar orang yang datang istana cakap ... sedapnya makanan ... dan bukan cantiknya istana." 

"Azizah, tentukan driver dan polis semua dapat makanan sama macam jemputan dalam istana .... jaga perut mereka." 

These constant reminders, since I was young, etched in me an attitude to always be the best, if not giving the very best.

 

It has guided and nurtured me to be what I am today. I wouldn't want to be brought up any other way.

 

To have been entrusted, from a young age, with the opportunity to helm the feasts and banquets for palace guests regardless of who they are. This has led to my love for cooking, to always be the perfect host and providing the very best. 

Bah, your legacy will live on through the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation.

 

All proceeds from the sales of this book will go to my foundation, which will enable me to continue to give hope and joy to childless couples in the same predicament as I once was.

Insya allah. 

To my beloved husband HRH The Regent of Pahang, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to travel and explore every nook and cranny of Pahang, in my quest to discover and document traditional recipes.

 

Your trust, unquestionable faith and support have led me to preserve and publish this book as a culinary heritage that will be my legacy to the people of Pahang for generations to come.

 

It would not have been possible for me to embark on this culinary journey without your blessings. 

"To you and all the people of Pahang, I give you this book as a token of my devotion,  appreciation and gratitude for accepting me as your Crown Princess." 

 

Air Tangan Tengku Puan Pahang Masakan Tradisional Pahang is a collection of resepi makanan tradisional Pahang which was compiled by the Crown Princess of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Amin Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Iskandar.

This modern day princess travelled far and wide across the entire state of Pahang to compile all the resepi makanan tradisional Pahang from the womenfolk.

If it weren't for Tunku Azizah, most of the resepi makanan tradisi Pahang that have been passed on from generations to generations would have been completely lost.

Traditional Pahang cooking or masakan tradisional Pahang is very healthy as it involves a lot of boiling, grilling and very little deep frying according to Tengku Puan Pahang in her book.

The cooking style of each district is influenced by neighbouring states. So if you're planning to try "real" authentic makanan Pahang, head to the district of Lipis, Jerantut, Temerloh and Pekan.

Or one could purchase the cookbook and check out the entire range of resepi masakan tradisional Pahang which took the Tengku Puan Pahang 10 months of travelling and two and a half years before the first edition of the book was published.

Tunku Azizah spent 10 months cooking in the various districts, villages and interior areas. Villagers were surprised that "not only could a princess cook, but she could extract coconut milk, use the pestle and mortar and batu giling (stone grinder)".

The cookbook comprises recipes gathered from 11 districts of Pahang (Temerloh, Lipis, Jerantut, Raub, Rompin, Cameron Highlands, Bentong, Pekan, Kuantan, Maran and Bera).

In addition, Tengku Puan Pahang generously shared her royal household recipes which offers an insight into the favourite foods of the Pahang royal household and palace guests. She bemoaned the fact that many priceless royal dishes disappeared with the passing of her mother-in-law. Nevertheless, she managed to interview a number of long-time palace cooks for some recipes of palace dishes.

Tengku Puan Pahang even managed to gather recipes from the orang asli (natives) of Pahang. There are about 60,000 orang asli from nine tribes. Of the 60 recipes contributed, 20 were picked for the cookbook.

The Pahang orang asli source their ingredients from their surroundings or the wilds and use simple cooking methods - baking, grilling and boiling. Their food remains authentic but they have included asam, sugar and coconut milk to add flavor.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation.