Saturday, November 22, 2008

Our Culture is Our Food

What's culture? Its a system of beliefs that define a group of people.

People often say that Singaporeans/Malaysians - people of the Straits Settlements (now that's a term I bet you haven't heard in a long while) have no culture.

Well let me spare you the Mead and Weber academic explanations... Our culture is (partly) in our food. We love our food and it brings us together. Malay, Indian, Chinese, Eurasian - and the various ethnic groups within those categories - food is what brings us together.

So what brings me to this topic? I found a stash of Malaysian peanut candy in my fridge, which I had bought back in June, hahahaa. I went back to Australia - came back - and ate some this morning. My God!! Pardon me, it tasted so good, so flavorsome, and remarkably so fresh (despite the long hiatus opened). If I didn't have more self control, I'd have gone through the second unopened stash.

And it only cost RM$2. That's about 60 cents AUD or 40 cents US. What a crime!

One thing that deeply saddens me is going to the supermarkets here in Singapore and finding them totally bereft of local produce like this peanut candy.

We take our local products so much for granted. Its a scandal!! There is little pride in what our culture has produced.

Instead, I find food from France, Italy, Australia etc.. expensive, overpriced and half the time - crap. I guess its part of the Pinkerton "Ohhh, I'm dreaming of a White Pe.." Syndrome.

Some of our confectionery biscuits like the "Heyau Peeang" handmade out of a combination of pastry, molasses and extremely fine black sugar paste - baked twice to achieve a multiple thin layer pastry crust - can no longer be found. Only pale imitations of it exist now.

And yet, you find people queing up for American donuts or some other foreign product.

Have we no pride in our local food? The Govt Tourist Board here should help sponsor our products and send them abroad. (Paying for the transport cost, of course).

It was said that Queen Victoria was prepared to pay gold for a Mangosteen - weight for weight. If only we would have the same respect.

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