Awareness of Food Heritage Among University Students

Abstract

Known as a multi-racial country, Malaysia not only maintains a unique culture, customs, and practices but also has a variety of distinctive local foods as part of its gastronomy. The objective of this study is to investigate the factors that lead to the awareness of Malaysian food heritage among university students. Thus, this study aims to identify the relationships between social influence, availability, and food preferences toward awareness of food heritage among university students in Malaysia. The quantitative method using a survey questionnaire was distributed online and 384 data was gathered from students in Malaysian higher education institutions. The result showed that social influence, availability, and food preferences were significant contributors to awareness of food heritage among university students. The findings extend knowledge in food heritage awareness among youth and provide practical contributions to gastronomy providers.