Food and firsts: How non-Muslim influencers like Mekyun, CeddyOrNot explore Ramadan with fasting challenges and bazaar reviews (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — Every year, Ramadan bazaars turn Klang Valley into a food paradise for both Muslims and non-Muslims, often drawing crowds eager to break fast with an array of dishes.
However, in recent years, there is a noticeable trend where an increasing number of non-Muslim influencers document their experiences at Ramadan bazaars or trying their hand at fasting.
From viral TikToks reviewing roti john stalls in Desa Pandan to YouTube vlogs featuring food hunts at Shah Alam's famous bazaar, non-Muslim content creators are putting their own spin on this Ramadan tradition.
But how do their perspectives differ from Muslim influencers?
While Muslim influencers often highlight personal experiences, breaking fast traditions, and stall recommendations, non-Muslim influencers tend to focus on a different approach, with many framing their content around 'food hunting' and ranking stalls, asking questions like 'What's the best ayam percik in KL?' or 'Where's the juiciest murtabak?'
Another popular trend involves influencers experiencing something for the first time, whether it's sampling food from a Ramadan bazaar or attempting to fast for the day.
Content creator Wee Yun Nee, better known as Mek Yun, recently took on the challenge of fasting for the first time alongside her brother, Wee Chuan Chin, also known as Abe Wee, who has been attempting to observe fasting during Ramadan for over two years. He also took part last year.
Documenting her experience, Mek Yun created content showcasing her journey from waking up for sahur (the meal eaten before dawn during Ramadan) to resisting hunger throughout the day until breaking her fast at Maghrib (sunset).
She also visited a Ramadan bazaar, where she explored a variety of food options and picked up some nasi lemak to break her fast with.
Meanwhile, Abe Wee also shared his own Ramadan experience on TikTok, taking viewers along as he visited Wangsa Maju Bazaar, the longest Ramadan bazaar in Kuala Lumpur, alongside Mek Yun and their other brother, Jason Wee.
He also shared that he visited the Taman Lembah Keramat Bazaar, a smaller Ramadan Bazaar, where he tried different foods.
Salomé Das — a half-Indian, half-French model, actress, singer and social media personality who grew up in Malaysia — also documented herself trying out food in Ramadan bazaars this year.
If there's one thing Salomé is known for, it is her ability to nail different accents, whether it is French, Indian, British, American, or South-east Asian English in her TikTok videos.
But when it comes to food, her signature catchphrase is 'baap re baap yaar!' which is basically the desi version of 'Oh my God!'
In a recent video, she took on the Kampung Baru Ramadan Bazaar, where she tried out ayam penyet, putu mayam, grilled fish, murtabak and an assortment of kuih.
Ceddy Ang, known online as CeddyOrNot, is also actively participating in Ramadan this year by joining his Muslim friends in fasting and sharing his experiences through various social media platforms.
Ceddy has been sharing daily updates on his fasting experience. In one TikTok video, he documented his visit to the Ramadan bazaar in Denai Alam, where he was on the hunt for tomato rice.
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Another well-known non-Muslim food content creator, Jason Chen, also known as @jcinthehizzay on Instagram and @scaredtodie on TikTok, has also been immersing himself in the Ramadan festivities this year, creating content focused on food and the atmosphere of Ramadan bazaars in Kuala Lumpur.
His Ramadan-themed content has been a hit among his audience, particularly his explorations of various bazaars and his enthusiastic approach to trying popular local dishes.
In his videos, he sampled nasi kerabu with grilled chicken for RM7 and beef murtabak for RM6 at the Wangsa Maju Ramadan bazaar, as well as biryani rice with ayam masak merah for RM12 and Pak Ya popiah for RM8 at the TTDI bazaar.
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