Three-day Citarasa Sabah is on

18 April 2014| last updated at 04:23PM

KOTA KINABALU: A couple was among the first to visit the local and exotic food booth at the first day of "Citarasa Sabah" festival here on April 18.

  Thien Hou Onn and his wife had been hankering for a taste of the Kadazan Dusun traditional food "pacar" and "binutong" as both bring back old memories.
 
  Pacar is a mixture of vermicelli with banana flower, vegetables and wild cosmos while Binutong is leaf-wrapped yam rice. 
 
  "Our parents had instilled the local culture, including its food, into us, and we are in love with the cuisine.
 
  "We are lucky to be able to taste both here as none of us know how to cook it," he said.
 
  Other exotic food available at the booth include live sea worm and Sago worm, local pickles such as bambangan, tuhau and nonsom.
 
  The local and exotic food are prepared by members of the Sabah Homestay Association.
 
  The three-day event, dubbed the state's second largest event in line with Visit Malaysia Year 2014, is hoping to draw 10,000 local and international visitors. 
 
  Malaysia Tourism and Culture Ministry Sabah office director Daniel Gomez described the festival as a one-stop place for tourists to have a taste and glimpse of the state. 
 
  "Besides having a wide selection of cuisine, visitors will also be entertained with cultural performances, as well as cooking, fruit carving, and bartending competitions. 
 
  "The event committee has also prepared shuttle buses from the Suria shopping complex to the KK Times Square," he added. 
/ Thien Hou Onn and wife enjoying yam rice known as "binuntog" and "pacar" at Citarasa Sabah food festival at KK Times Square.
Sabah Homestay Association promoting local food, crafts and homestay packages to visitors.

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