Malaysian Flavours Meet Belgian Kitchens in Brussels

On 5 November, a live culinary showcase in Brussels will demonstrate how one ingredient can connect Malaysian and Belgian dishes. At the heart of the showcase is sustainable Malaysian palm oil, with guests invited to explore both its versatility in the kitchen and the sustainability practices behind its production.

A culinary showcase in Brussels

Organised by the Embassy of Malaysia in Brussels, Cooking Sustainably with Malaysia: A Culinary Showcase with Malaysian Palm Oil will take place at Excellis from 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm. The programme brings together live cooking demonstrations, food tastings and conversations about responsible palm oil production, offering a practical introduction to an ingredient widely used in European food manufacturing.

The programme will open with welcoming remarks by His Excellency Dato’ Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak, Ambassador of Malaysia to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, followed by remarks from the Chief Guest.

Two kitchens, one ingredient

Through live cooking demonstrations, guests will discover how sustainable Malaysian Palm Oil complements different culinary traditions, from authentic Malaysian favourites to Belgian specialities. The experience will conclude with an opportunity to savour the dishes and appreciate the versatility of this widely used ingredient.

The Science Behind the Cooking

Sustainable Malaysian Palm Oil offers functional properties that make it a valuable ingredient in both traditional and modern food preparation. Its good oxidative stability makes it suitable for high-temperature cooking, including frying, while its naturally semi-solid characteristics provide desirable texture and functionality in bakery products, confectionery and speciality fats.

Importantly, palm oil can be used in food formulations without the need for partial hydrogenation, offering manufacturers an alternative to partially hydrogenated oils that contain industrially produced trans fats. Palm oil also naturally contains vitamin E compounds, including tocopherols and tocotrienols, although their levels vary depending on processing and refining.

A Taste of Malaysia: Teh Tarik and Kuih Jala

Beyond the cooking demonstrations, guests will be invited to experience two distinctive Malaysian culinary traditions.Teh tarik, Malaysia's iconic pulled tea, is skilfully prepared by pouring tea between two vessels to create a smooth, frothy texture.

Guests can also try their hand at makingKuih Jala, a traditional Malaysian delicacy prepared by drizzling batter through a special mould to create an intricate, lace-like pattern before frying it in oil. Malaysian Palm Oil provides a suitable frying medium, helping the delicate strands cook evenly and develop their characteristic crisp texture.

Together, these interactive experiences offer guests an opportunity to explore Malaysia's rich food heritage while discovering the culinary applications of Malaysian Palm Oil.

What sits behind the bottle

For European consumers, the questions about palm oil often begin long before it reaches the kitchen. In Malaysia, they are answered through a national system. Malaysian SustainablePalm Oil (MSPO) certification is mandatory across the Malaysian industry. The MSPO 2.0 standard sets requirements covering a deforestation cut-off date, commitments to human rights including customary rights, prohibition of forced, as well as trafficked and child labour. It also includes prohibition of any form of discrimination and harassment as well as a requirement for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculations. As of August 2026, approximately 92% of Malaysia's oil palm planted area was reported to be MSPO certified.

Certification is backed by traceability. Malaysia's National Commodity Traceability System (Sistem Kebolehjejakan Komoditi Malaysia, SKKM) integrates e-MSPO, GeoSAWIT, and Sawit Intelligent Management System (SIMS) into a single platform, bringing together certification data, geolocation coordinates and verified transactions so that buyers can see where their oil originates from. Currently, the system is in the final stages of development, with a launch date expected in early 2027.

Malaysian Palm Oil: Supporting Europe's Food Industry Through Quality and Sustainability

Palm oil continues to play an important role in Europe's food industry, serving as a versatile ingredient in bakery products, food spreads, confectionery, snack foods and many other products. In 2025, the European Union (EU) imported 1.03 million tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia, accounting for approximately one-third of its total palm oil imports. According to Eurostat data, around 80% of EU crude and refined palm oil imports were used for food purposes, reflecting its diverse applications across the food industry. Meanwhile, imports of solid palm oil fractions, such as palm stearin, have remained relatively stable at between 500,000 and 650,000 tonnes annually since 2019. These trends highlight sustained demand for palm oil in European food manufacturing and Malaysia's role as a reliable supplier.

As European consumers and food businesses increasingly prioritise sustainability and responsible sourcing, Malaysia continues to strengthen its sustainable production standards and supply chain transparency through the mandatory MSPO certification scheme. Together with ongoing engagement by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) with European stakeholders, these initiatives demonstrate Malaysia's commitment to supplying quality, responsibly produced palm oil while meeting evolving European market expectations.

Something for the whole family

Younger guests have a programme of their own. The Upin & Ipin Palm Oil Show offers an entertaining and educational session for children, who then move to the Malaysian Palm Oil Discovery Corner for a Wheel of Fortune game and colouring activities. Guests can also visit the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Tourism booth during the afternoon.

The programme closes with food tasting and networking, as guests share the dishes prepared during the showcase.

Event details

Cooking Sustainably with Malaysia: A Culinary Showcase with Malaysian Palm Oil

Thursday, 5 November 2026 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

[For further enquiries or to participate, please register at the attached link: https://forms.gle/JWp9cfmV4pVZZUjX8 by 4 November 2026].