Food And Culture

When I stayed in Kuala Lumpur which is a meeting place of both eastern and western culture.Malaysian cuisine is exotic with an exciting range of flavors and culinary styles, since it comprises of 3 main groups - Malay,Chinese and Indian.There are also cuisines that have evolved from the mix of cultures notably those of the Nyonya and Indian Muslims communities,so the majority Moslem in Malaysia is able to eat the food.In 2009,I had the chance to travel to Thailand and Singapore.One of popular food are Singapore bee hon-rice vermicelli with bean sprouts, carrots,cabbage,combine with chicken fillet, prawn and shrimps.The secret recipe is the oriental sauce which is a mixture of light soya sauces, oyster sauces, fish sauces and white pepper. So far,I think the Singaporean food culture speaks of a fusion of culture from all over the world.I think Singaporean food is the classic example of cultural diffusion.
Thai food is known for its balance of three to four fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty and bitter.Although Thai curry incorporates many Indian spices in its pastes,it still manages to maintain its own unique flavour with the addition of local spices and ingredients.Tom yum goong is a hot prawn soup with sour and spicy taste.Kao niao ma muang is a popular dessert-a thai sticky rice cooked in sweetened thick coconut milk, served with slices of ripe mango.Most traditional Thai cooking methods are stewing and baking or grilling.Chinese influences brought the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. I think the Thai food has unique tastes and very healthy.I have learned a lot from my traveling experiences.Food is the best representation of one’s culture and it is the obvious mean to try if you intend to understand the culture I also learned that culture is dynamic; it is a mix and always changing.Just like food, when it inspiries other dishes or when it received influences from the other.