Development of a multilingual web-based educational application to promote cultural literacy through Nasi Dagang

In an increasingly globalized education landscape, promoting cultural awareness through local culinary heritage offers an engaging pathway for cross-cultural learning. This paper presents the development of Nasi Dagang Explorer, a multilingual web-based educational application designed to introduce the traditional Malaysian dish, Nasi Dagang, to a diverse audience through interactive content. The innovation was inspired by the Festival Nasi Dagang event, which highlighted the lack of digital tools integrating cultural narratives with language education. The application consists of five modules: a multilingual introduction, ingredient glossary, bilingual cooking recipe, East Coast dialect phrases, and interactive games. It was developed using lightweight tools such as Streamlit, Canva Web, and JSON-based dictionaries, with audio integration and quizzes. The methodology included content curation, interface design, multilingual translation, and user testing with 30 international student participants. Results from pilot testing indicated that 90% of users agreed the application improved both cultural and language understanding. This study demonstrates the potential of food-based educational technologies to support inclusive, interactive, and culturally anchored learning experiences. It contributes to the fields of digital humanities, educational technology, and cultural studies by providing a replicable model for similar initiatives focused on traditional cuisines and languages.