Heritage on a plate | Borneo Post Online (2025)

THE warm scent of bamboo leaves wafts through Jasmine Café in Miri.

There, several women gather around the proprietress Jasmine Tsen, all eager to learn the traditional art of wrapping ‘zongzi’ – the flavourful Hakka glutinous rice dumplings made especially for the Dragon Boat Festival.

“It’s not easy to get the shape just right,” says Tsen, as she guides the trainees in making the precise folds and ties.

“But once you get the hang of it, it becomes muscle memory.”

Her passion is contagious. What began as a humble demonstration, quickly becomes a shared celebration of culture and kinship.

The women are not just learning a recipe – they are inheriting a culinary heritage art of the Hakka community and keeping it alive.

Almost all zongzi in Miri are non-halal, except those at Jasmine Café, which has been selling them for more than two decades.

How it began

Tsen’s culinary journey began many decades ago in rural Sibuti, a village about a two-hour drive from Miri.

As a child, she was diagnosed with a serious pork allergy. This discovery caused deep worry in her traditional family, where pork was central to their food culture and community life.

“Back then, no one talked about pork allergy,” says Tsen.

“Pork was something I had to avoid. My family, especially my parents, were incredibly supportive.”

Despite this obstacle, Tsen grew up loving food of all kinds. Her dream of creating inclusive, delicious Chinese cuisines without pork was born from this early hardship.

Her school-mates were sympathetic, but they did not really understand her medical situation. She had to resort to consuming food sold at the Malay stalls.

Her problem was not a religious situation, but a medical one.

Initially, Tsen’s mother was the most worried about her.

However, these days she is all smiles in seeing Tsen thrive with her business and live a happy life with her husband Paul Ting and their children, Brandon, Alicia and Alastair.

“My three children are following my footsteps, but they are keen on gaining experience outside Sarawak first. Thinking about her grandchildren, Mrs Tsen beamed her beautiful smile across the table,” says Tsen.

Halal certification

Tsen pursued her entrepreneurial ambition after completing Form 5, with strong support from her parents.

At the time, her father was retiring from timber work, so they thought about opening a small food stall.

“The key goal, however, was to operate a fully halal Chinese café,” says Tsen.

It was not easy. Obtaining halal certification required years of stringent inspections, attending courses run by the Health Ministry, and also being under Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (Jakim)’s monitoring.

For Tsen, though, her resolve never wavered. She went through all these challenges with great determination.

“Yes, it was a long process. I worked very hard to ensure hygiene, quality and full compliance with the syariah (Islamic law).

“And it paid off – my café is now halal-certified,” says the businesswoman.

“My very loyal Muslim staff and I always took this responsibility seriously.”

Delicious halal Hakka’s offerings

Today, Jasmine Café, now at 25 years old, is one of Miri’s most beloved Halal Chinese eateries with high turnover of customers.

There are two sections in her café.

The economy food, which features up to 10 dishes every lunch time.

Pricing is very reasonable, ranging from RM6 to RM10 per serving, depending on the choices of meat or vegetables.

The other section is the a la carte, offering varieties of beef, chicken, vegetarian, seafood and noodle dishes, as well as hot and cold beverages.

“Jasmine’s food is always very fresh and tasty.

“The dishes are the same as any hotel buffet.

“I like her ‘daging masak hitam’ (beef dish) and her roast chicken,” says Maggie Ting, a regular diner at Jasmine Café.

‘History wrapped in bamboo leaves’

On the subject of zongzi, Tsen says these Hakka dumplings are known for their generous fillings and bold flavours.

“Filled with chicken, dried prawns, chestnuts, mushrooms, and umami-rich soy sauce, it’s not just food; it is history wrapped in bamboo leaves,” she smiles.

The tradition of eating zongzi and holding dragon boat races dates back to over 2,000 years ago, where it meant to honour patriot Qu Yuan, whose death inspired villagers to toss rice bundles into the river to protect his spirit.

Today, zongzi can be enjoyed all-year round in Malaysia.

Tsen sells them a few days in a week, preparing up to 60 pieces per day.

At only RM6 apiece, every zongzi would be sold out by 10am!

The annual Dragon Boat Race takes place on the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, commemorating the birthday of Qu Yuan and his sacrifice for good governance.

In some parts of China, the people throw the dumplings into rivers.

In the big cities, there are even zongzi-wrapping competitions.

‘A café with a mission’

Located near Jalan Merpati and Kampung Wireless, between the Miri River and the Imperial Mall, Jasmine Café is indeed a quaint haven.

Tsen’s standout is her halal ‘kacangma’ (Motherwort) – her version substitutes the alcohol ginger and more herbs, making it suitable for Muslim diners.

“Jasmine is a true Hakka chef,” said Dayang Yusup, a teacher.

“Her food is heritage that you can taste. I come here to enjoy food.

“I remember my Chinese grandmother’s cooking, back during the old days in our small village in Baram.

“There is so much Chinese taste in the food here. We also find the food very refreshing and healthy, not oily at all.”

Tsen’s Jasmine Café management team comprises manager Azira, and the chefs, Zahirah and Yusry, who manage quite a sizeable group of workers.

For Tsen, she would like to see her café being integrated into a tourism package like Miri’s Heritage Trail, where she could conduct hands-on cooking demonstrations and curate special menus for tourists seeking authentic Sarawakian and Chinese-Malay cuisines.

“I want Jasmine Café to be more than a restaurant,” she points out.

“I want it to be a place where people learn, remember, and share,” she smiles.

Tsen, indeed, offers more than just meals – she highlights a legacy, one dish at a time.