Malaysians Love Food.
[Opinion]
Why do Malaysians love food so much?
It must be something genetic, something which runs through our blood, something every Malaysian was born with or maybe it’s something in the water? Because deep deep down, every single Malaysian loves food. It’s hard to put a finger on it because even for myself, who grew up in Dubai and having spent only a few years of my life in Malaysia, also loves Malaysian food. After all, how many times do you remember meeting up with a group of friends only for the conversation to inexplicably turn to food?
’’Hey… Have you tried that new place in PJ? You know… The one near the bank? I heard it’s damn good lah… We should go try one day!’‘
Sounds familiar right?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Malaysians tend to have food constantly on the mind, before one meal is over they’re thinking about what to eat for the next. Food seems to be the predominant thought no matter who they are with or where in the world they are.
Picture from Flickr: Jean-Marc Rocher
During breakfast, ‘What do you feel like eating for lunch?’
During lunch, ‘I think tonight I’ll get some mamak’
During dinner, ‘Wow, lunch sure was good, we should go back to that place again sometime.’
During supper, ‘Hmmm… I wonder what’s for breakfast’
We just can’t run away from it or get food out of our heads. It’s automatic, it’s in our subconscious.
FOOD AT HOME
For most Malaysians, their first ever experiences with local cuisine probably began at home. Be it cooking up a storm of Indian, Chinese, Malay or other types of food by the head chef (usually just referred to as ‘mum’) you had no choice but to eat it, like it or not.
And on the odd occasion that the family decided to go out and eat for a change, with 3 major ethnic styles of food available, we’ve always been spoiled for choice.
FOOD FOR LIFE
For alot of people in Malaysia, their lifestyles can revolve around food, we live to eat, not the other way around. In many western countries, there isn’t this option of going out late at night just to hang out at a food outlet (unless you count McDonalds or KFC) whereas in Malaysia, most mamak’s are 24 hours. Sometimes it’s nice to just go to a nearby mamak, meet some close friends and chit chat the night away.
FOOD OVERSEAS
You always miss roti canai.
When people go overseas to study or work, they are usually left with the parting message from their friends or relatives to ‘learn to adapt to the local culture’. Visitors from America, Europe or Australia coming to Malaysia to study will (mostly) happily eat and enjoy the local fare. Heck, they may even learn to love it!
But what about when Malaysians go overseas?
Most of us have friends who are still working or studying overseas and how many times have they said things like:
“I miss nasi lemak, char kuey teow and roti canai from back home. It doesn’t taste the same here and it’s really expensive.”
I don’t think Malaysians are reluctant to try the food of other cultures, but when you are overseas, you find comfort in something that reminds you of home and what better a way than eating a bowl of curry laksa with a glass of teh tarik (kurang manis of course)? Especially when the weather outside is bleak, cold and snowing with Malaysia and your head chef (Mum) seeming a million miles away?
So be it loving Malaysian food at home, overseas or just having food always on the mind, the bottom line is that Malaysians eat not to live, but live to eat.
Hmmm… I wonder what’s for dinner?
No related posts.
Tags: malaysia, malaysian food
December 18th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Well put.
December 19th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Food On The Mind? | Feedmelah.com! says:[...] I said in an earlier post, Malaysian’s always seem to have food on the mind. But it’s good to know that we’re not [...]