How Traditional Are Modern Traditional Delicacies?

In this era of speed many shortcuts are taken, many things are simplified, many things are considered petty, unnecessary, non-functional, and hence left out. This include traditional foods and delicacies.
Traditional foods that were prepared using specific procedure and process with specific ingredients mixed in specific proportions have been changed. The motivation is minimization of cost and maximization of profit. Can such foods deserve the label traditional? Kueh bahulu, a traditional Malay cookies are now produced in some large shopping complexes, using methods having little similarity with traditional process, and perhaps the ingredients too are simplified. Harder to get ingredients are replaced with ones that are easily found or readily available. Can they still be called kueh bahulu? Some kueh sampan use plastic-based wrappings instead of banana leaves. Do the products deserve the name kueh sampan?
In the absence of any standard or scheme for assuring authenticity it is not hard to guess the answer, especially if such label adds value to the goods. The effect is that the real traditional foods are forgotten and their rightful place occupied by modified 'modern traditional' foods. Future generation, who know nothing of it will regard it as such.

Weaving for Everything

Weaving is one of the most prevalent method used in producing many traditional goods in the Malay culture. It involves interleaving strips to make mats, baskets, or even wrappings for traditional food known as ketupat. Strips of palm tree leaves are used to make the ketupat wrapping. Bamboo, sliced along its length into strips are woven to produce baskets to handle heavy items such as forest products like durian (thorny fruits). Baskets that are commonly used as shopping bags and mats are woven from soft materials such as the leaves of nipah tree. Rattans, that are bent using special method, also traditional, are used as frames for the basket.
Before plastic people used to go to the market with the woven nipah basket. They put everything they buy, which usually are wrapped by used newspaper, and tied by dried banana ropes (tali pisang), in the basket. Dried banana ropes are made using the trunk of banana tress that are sliced into strips and dried in the sun to get rid of the water. The rope is as strong as the nylon-based rope we have now for securing most of the common everyday needs. The use of everyday, natural and thus biodegradable materials, ensures that the environment is preserved and resources put to clever use. Gradually, perhaps we should migrate to using natural, or traditional good again. If they can perform equally good as synthetics, they should not be replaced. Should they?

Cross-cultural Interactions

A Mr Kubo of the Graduate School of Engineering, Nuclear Professional School, University of Tokyo remarked before his presentation in Kuala Lumpur that the gamelan music of Java, Indonesia sounds like Japanese traditional music from the island of Okinawa. The night before, Kuda Kepang dance, originating from the state of Johor, Malaysia, which was in the line-up of a dinner cultural show at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur was said to have a link to Japan. Kuda Kepang dance is one in which dancers dance while riding decorated cutout of horses.
Both, Mr Kubo and the master of ceremony, are not the authority in culture. Thus to know for sure we have to ask those studying the subject-matter. In any case, the point is, culture is something that everyone can relate to and talk about. Highlighting similarities can enhance solidarity, while differences should be enjoyed and appreciated.