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Wee Kek Koon

Following the publication of my column last week on yusheng – prosperity toss salad – I was asked why Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines have yet to gain global recognition.
If they are really that good, foods like bak kut teh, laksa and nasi lemak should roll off everybody’s tongue in the same way as pho, sushi and tom yum goong.
Perhaps Singaporean and Malaysian food is simply not as good as we think it is. But I refuse to believe that.
Unlike the more famous cuisines in the world today, the export of our foods did not follow the barrel of a gun or hitch a ride on the waves of our countries’ popular culture and economic strength.

Another reason may be that our diasporas – whether temporary sojourners working elsewhere or new citizens of their adopted countries – do not have the critical mass of say, the Vietnamese, Thais and Chinese.
There will be a few Malaysian or Singaporean food establishments in the world’s major cities, but their reason for being is not so much about serving delicious meals as dispensing derisory cures for homesickness.
Many are forced to add dishes from other more well-known culinary traditions to their menus just to stay open. There are good Singaporean and Malaysian restaurants overseas, but they are as rare as hen’s teeth.
Chinese food is one of those cuisines that has travelled successfully. The sheer size and distribution of the Chinese diaspora makes Chinese food ubiquitous.
The earlier waves of Chinese culinary export were characterised by adaptability, either because of the unavailability of ingredients locally or the economic necessity to adjust to local palates, which resulted in creations such as chicken Manchurian, chop suey and ramen. Some are quite delicious; others not so much.

The current wave, in contrast, presents Chinese food as it is, with little or no adjustments.
It is, of course, much easier to source all kinds of ingredients now, so there is no need to replace some of them with local produce. Also, a renewed cultural pride among Chinese, especially when they are overseas, has meant that many restaurateurs are less ready to make compromises.
The palates of Europeans, North Americans and other peoples have also become more sophisticated; this, together with the desire for “authentic” experiences, has resulted in greater awareness of Chinese cuisine beyond sweet and sour pork and chow mein.


In the past few years, chilli crisps, a type of hot sauce, have grown very popular around the world. Jars of Lao Gan Ma, the most popular brand, have become a staple in the pantries of gourmands from London to Lima, and New York to the New Territories.
Another Chinese dish that has recently gained attention is smashed, or smacked, cucumber (pai huanggua), a simple cold starter for which cucumber chunks are “smacked” with the flat side of the cleaver so that the dressing clings better to the bruised vegetable.
The cucumber was one of the earliest foreign foods to find their way to Chinese tables.
Native to the Indian subcontinent, the vegetable – or fruit, if we are being pedantic – was brought back to China by Zhang Qian (195–114BC), the Han dynasty diplomat and explorer, more than 2,000 years ago from one of his journeys to distant lands.

Cucumber’s foreign origin is reflected in its original Chinese name, hugua, literally “barbarian gourd”.
The name was changed to huanggua, or “yellow gourd”, a few centuries later because, it is said, a dynastic ruler in the period of great disunity from the early 3rd century to the late 6th century AD felt a certain way about the word “barbarian”, being a non-Han Chinese foreigner himself.
The dressing for smacked cucumbers is usually built around soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar, with fresh garlic and chilli added to taste. But you can be creative and make your own variations.
Just try not to smack the cucumbers too hard. You want them crispy, not crushed.


Why Malaysian and Singaporean food hasn’t gone global, but Chinese food has

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Lessons from China's history

A bowl of Singapore laksa from The Laksa Club in Hong Kong. The spicy noodle soup has not conquered the world, unlike Vietnamese pho and any number of Chinese dishes. Photo: The Laksa Club

Singaporean bak kut teh. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Nasi lemak, a traditional Malay curry paste rice dish served on a banana leaf. Photo: Shutterstock

Smashed cucumbers. Photo: Jonathan Wong

People tossing the ingredients of “yusheng”, or prosperity toss salad, during Chinese New Year, a traditional practice in Malaysia and Singapore for luck and prosperity. Photo: Shutterstock

A Malaysian Chinese family prepares to toss the ingredients of “yusheng” or prosperity toss salad, a Chinese New Year ritual said to bring luck and good fortune. Photo: Getty Images

Diners toss “yusheng”, a salad of raw fish and julienne vegetables, at Chinese New Year to earn good fortune. Photo: Getty Images

A messy and raucous affair, the tossing of the salad ingredients at Chinese New Year is especially popular in Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

A worshipper pays respects to his forebears at Chai Wan Cemetery in Hong Kong on the Ching Ming Festival. Some Christians refuse to join family members in such rituals, or will hold flowers but not incense sticks. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

After Hong Kong tofu scandal, recalling the Chinese prince credited with its invention

Fermented tofu (bean curd). Photo: Tom Wang

Liu Ma Kee fermented bean curd (left) in a grocery store in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, before the brand’s recent downfall. Tofu and soy milk have long histories, with a Chinese prince said to have invented both 2,000 years ago. Photo: Sam Tsang

 Liu Ma Kee recently came under fire for claiming its preserved bean curd was made in Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP

Fermented tofu is known as furu and is made with the addition of mould, similar to the production of blue cheeses. Photo: Tom Wang

Kung Wo Beancurd Factory in Sham Shui Po is another Hong Kong vendor of tofu products including fermented tofu. Photo: Eugene Lee

‘The best’ laksa and bak kut teh in Hong Kong: a Malaysian health and wellness entrepreneur’s top restaurant picks

Laksa from Kedai Kopi Semua Semua Restaurant. Photo: Facebook/Kedai Kopi Semua Semua Restaurant

Kitty Lo is a Malaysian health and wellness entrepreneur. She shares her favourite restaurants in Hong Kong, including where she goes for “the best” laksa and bak kut teh. Photo: courtesy of Kitty Lo

Tagliatelle al tartufo at BluHouse in the Rosewood. Photo: BluHouse

Mysore masala dosa at Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Various dishes from Kailash Parbat. Photo: Kailash Parbat

‘Mysterious’ fish that’s famous in Fukuoka, and why it is sumo wrestlers’ food of choice

Fukuoka chef Kazutaka Hagiwara prepares longtooth grouper. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Ingredients for “chanko nabe” or sumo wrestler’s stew, including longtooth grouper, a fish Japanese call kue which is a speciality of the southern city of Fukuoka. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Kazutaka Hagiwara, chef de cuisine of sushi restaurant Tomozuna on the top floor of the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, gets to work on a longtooth grouper in its kitchen. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Hitoshi Hirokawa, executive director of Fukuoka’s Nagahama Fish Market, calls longtooth grouper “the most famous fish in Fukuoka”. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

The sharp teeth of the longtooth grouper make it difficult for sushi chefs to handle. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Dishes prepared using the flesh of the longtooth grouper fish, including sashimi (front). Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

A longtooth grouper at the seafood market in Fukuoka. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Longtooth grouper stew. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Lifestyle

Chinese culture

Food & Drink

Malaysia and Singapore are tiny compared to other Southeast Asian countries, let alone China, whose foods are ubiquitous around the world


Malaysia and Singapore are tiny compared to other Southeast Asian countries, let alone China, whose foods are ubiquitous around the world.


Asian diaspora

Food and Drinks

Singapore

Malaysia

Chinese overseas

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Reflections

Reflections | Why Malaysian and Singaporean food hasn’t gone global, but Chinese food has

Malaysia and Singapore are tiny compared to other Southeast Asian countries, let alone China, whose foods are ubiquitous around the world