Divine offering?

Extending food offerings to anyone and everyone has always been an honourable thing. It is also part of desert culture to break bread with a stranger one meets during one's long, weary travels. The frequent famines that famished the often battle-riddled land of Bharat made freshly made simple cooking God-sent.

The art of cooking for the masses arose not only from the indulgence of the Moghul Emperors, who made culinary skills an art form to die for but from the chefs preparing them for their hunger-stricken subjects.

Hunger pangs are real. It is not the irritation one gets after missing his cafè latte or the agony of waiting for his double burger. The homeless people in the city of London, waiting in line patiently for their fizzling hot dhall, chawal, and saag, could give us a first-hand experience of what sleeping with an empty stomach feels like. The real McCoy here is the twitch they feel in their belly as the piping hot masala chai aroma fills the air.

Now, in this age and age, the age-old interpretation of malnutrition is no longer confined to the one who is emancipated, skin and bones, but one where malnourishment goes the other extreme. One is overfed, too big to carry his own baggage, and stricken with various metabolic diseases of overindulgence. From a nation that generally ate two meals a day to one that eats at slight provocation, is the act of annathanam/ bhog still relevant? Is it still a good deed or merely akin to feeding a recalcitrant alcoholic more arrack?

Is food still the essence of life? (“Annam para Brahma swarupam”)

Donors sometimes do it to show their piety and gain bragging rights to aggrandise their stature in society. Others do it to wash away their private misdeeds, knowingly or unwittingly. Some do it with ulterior motives, hoping to get abundant returns in kind.

Then, there will be groups that draw numbers to fulfil personal political ambitions. The bond of eating together goes beyond the act of fulfilling gastronomic desires. This may explain why dating couples plan elaborate dinner plans to impress each other. People become law-abiding when it comes to food. Just see the rows of obedient customers queuing for hours to get their nasi kandar fix. Anyone can initiate a Pavlovian response through food. The way to a man's (or woman's) heart is through the stomach.

It is not all saffron and ghee in the land of Annapoorana. The recipients of these offerings blessed by the divine forces are sometimes not worthy of the heavenly gifts. They do not practise the adages of 'waste not, want not', 'eat to live, not live to eat' and treat 'food as medicine'. They overindulge and have no qualms about assigning the free-gotten meals to the bins, either because they took too much because it is free or because their incisors crave the animalistic tearing of meaty meals.

True, we live in a world of abundance and contradictions. Development and industrialisation saw our race scale the highest skies and deepest mountains, but a section of the population would still be lost in the rat race. Community-based social projects like these, either on spiritual or secular backgrounds, will go a long way to help out the needy.

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On how to dine...

We are on a journey to nowhere, travelling from womb to tomb, learning on the job as we go on. Along the way, we pick up wisdom from fellow travellers honoured by others as old hens at the job. Their thoughts are immortalised and cast in the stone as life hacks.

Call it synchronicity or that the Universe is trying to tell me something. Thiru Valluvar's name got mentioned thrice this week. Maybe there is nothing supernatural about the whole thing; it is just that the algorithm picked up Valluvar's name being mentioned and decided to recommend the same. Whatever the reason, we simply extract the succulent juice and discard the pulp.

This shoutout goes to my vegetarian friends and relatives who go under the impression that it is perfectly alright to stir a storm when the vegetarian dish is not up to mark with their palatal desires. And it is worth it to wound the egos and self-respect of fellow human beings as long as animals are protected and a meat-free utopia is created.

Valluvar was a Tamil poet and philosopher who left an indelible mark on Tamil literature and way of life. His couplets (kural) give an aphoristic look into virtue, wealth and love.

Everybody wants a piece of him.
The Shivaitte Valluvar vs the Atheist.

Scholars cannot agree on the time he existed on Earth. Studies place him to have lived anywhere between 300 BCE and the 5th century CE. Naturally, various parties lay claim to him as theirs. Jains claim that he was a Jain priest, even though some of his couplets may go well with Jain teachings. Some evangelising Christians claim him to be a closet Christian, hence including him in the armamentarium of name-dropping to convert the unassuming.

The government of Tamil Naidu, riding on their anti-theistic, specifically anti-Hindu rhetorics, seized the opportunity to appropriate Valluvar as its mascot. After all, his teachings were not religious but were religion-neutral and were more of checklists for how life is to be lived. TN now celebrates Valluvar's birthday around the time of Ponggal; both are marketed as quintessential Tamil celebrations. Of course, that is incorrect. Ponggal is a harvest festival celebrated by many agrarian societies in other parts of India and the world. They also determined that Valluvar's birth year was 32 BCE.

The couplet that appeared thrice this week is ‘peyakkandum nanjundu amaivar nayathakka nagareegam vendu bavar’ (பெயக்கண்டும் நஞ்சுண்டு அமைவர் நயத்தக்க நாகரீகம் வேண்டி பவர்). Written in classical Tamil, only Tamil scholars well versed in this area of the language would be able to give its succinct meaning. From my understanding, it advises people to accept offerings from others even if it is poison. That is the mark of a cultured person. Putting into context, a teetotaler should accept an alcoholic beverage from his host if the gesture means a lot to him. Similarly, a vegetarian should not create a ruckus at a restaurant if his vegetarian fried rice is spiced with oyster sauce.

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Jalan-jalan cari makan! *

Spoilt for choice!

We say so many things about food. That we eat to live, not live to eat. That food be treated just as we treat medicine; not to overconsume, over-indulge or abuse. Like the Tamil proverb says, in excess, even honey turns poison. When we have the stomach to taste, we don't have the means; when there are the means, we don't have the stomach for it!

Some would insist that eating to satisfy the senses is a sin. It is viewed as disrespecting Mother Nature, who provides and protects. Why go far? Gluttony is listed as one of seven deadly sins that Man should not commit. Various food abstinence regimes are considered highly by many religious beliefs. Fasting during Lent and Ramadan is recommended. So do Hindus during their multiple prayers. Then there are the Jains and Pythogorians with their dos and don'ts about eating and the types of foods that can be consumed. Tubers and root vegetables are avoided by Puritan Jains as ingestion of these foodstuffs kills underground organisms or deprives them of their food.

Yet some believe we are given one life, and our chance to be born as a human is our reward for enduring whatever lowlife and insignificant births before this. To be immersed in bliss is, therefore, our right. Who knows what we will be later. We are here right now and probably never again, so indulge in satisfying all our worldly senses to our soul's content. 

What better way to stimulate our gastronomic senses after tickling the olfactory bulb and arousing the gustatory juices than to go on a foodie trail on the sideline whilst attending a secondary school get-together. And which better place to reminisce the nostalgic taste of the yesteryears than in the hometown that we grew up in. If, in those days, the economy was the stumbling block to giving a go at various foods all at once, now it is the guilt of going against medical advice. But what the heck, we told ourselves, we only live once. But again, we only die once but a happier person.

  

From top to bottom:

Mee Rebus & Ice Kacang

Potpourri of Penang Street Food - Ice Kacang & Rojak

Char Koay Teow & Hokkein Mee

Cendol of Penang Road

Various Pohpiahs

Wan Tan Mee & Toast

Popiah & Grilled Stingray

P.S. Thanks to Yew Teik Hock for the photos. When others say grace before a meal, he religiously snaps a picture on his mobile. Also, to George Ho for choosing the various outlets for each particular dish.

* In the Malay language, the literal translation is going on a stroll, looking for something to eat. Equivalent to going on a food trail. A 'tongue-in-cheek' meaning would be sneaking around to sow your wild oats. Or like ‘Have Gun Will Travel’, how a fornicator scavenges for free meat. Go figure!

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Where, what to eat?

No, they are not distributing free food.

It is the long queue outside a high-end 

South Indian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

The food is good but expensive and packed,

but that did not deter foodies near and far

from gathering in droves to satisfy their 

gastronomic desires.

Some Singaporean study determined that hardly anybody cook in Singapore anymore. Almost everyone has their meals at the many food outlets around the island. For the other privileged consumers, delivery services are willing to bring gourmet to the doorstep at a small fee.

Economic downturn or not, ever since the lockdown was lifted, people swarmed in droves to patronise the food outlets like there was no tomorrow. They have no qualms about waiting for hours, salivating, and standing in rows around the corner.

It does not matter if the quality of food is suspect. It is impossible for all foods ordered online to be monitored for hygiene as they mostly escape authority scrutiny. It is not possible to quantitate food that will be supplied beforehand. Estimates are estimates. If the food provided is too much, what does one do? Since it is politically incorrect to dispose of unwanted food, they may consume more than they require to survive.

There is no price control. It is the market forces that would determine the suitable price.

With their busy schedules, wearing multiple hats, and performing many roles, the present generation finds it impossible to incorporate cooking as one of their list of duties. Gendered assignment duties do not come into the equation.

If cooking is difficult, try choosing a food outlet to meet your constantly fickled appetite and craving for variety. And not to forget the partner who will accompany you for lunch, dinner or whatever. Worried about losing culinary art? Who cares? That stuff, one can pick it up right off Youtube!

Eating out is convenient, affordable, less time-consuming and offers many choices in food selection. 

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Overconsumption is the problem.

The Game Changers (Documentary, 2019)

I grew up trying to ward off suggestions from animal-loving vegans who tried their level best to convince me that structurally humans are supposed to be herbivores. They justified their assertions, with seemingly scientific support about our dentition. I would tell them that if we were born to eat just plants, our facial structures would look a goat's. And that I loved my animals too much that I eat them every day. 

In the late 19th century British India, Sikh and Muslim soldiers were favoured over the Hindus to serve the Crown. Apparently, the Hindu soldiers, being mostly vegetarians, lack the prowess that made a bloody thirsty sepoy. Meat consumption had always been linked to muscle power, athletism and aggression. Now what this documentary is saying is that we have got it all wrong. All the things that we thought about being vegan are actually just the opposite. Consuming plant-based products and avoiding meat, fish and eggs are the sure way of health, endurance, recovery and even building muscle bulk in athletes of all categories including wrestlers, footballers and weight lifters. When compared to meat-eaters, plant-eaters are claimed to be more virile.

In the documentary, the gladiators are hailed as the ultimate warriors, respected for their dedication to the blood sports. Archaeological discoveries found their bones to have high strontium levels indicative of them living on nuts and cereals. And they had solid bones. Of course, they had strong bones because their lifespan was extremely short. They were not fearless warriors bur rather fearful captives fighting for their dear lives. These slaves were not fed on a special diet but were hurled skimpy discards before being thrown into the arena to defend against fearsome soldiers or jungle beasts. Their life expectancy was less than 30, hardly any time for osteoporosis to set in. 


This is the first sign that something is not right in the delivery of the facts. The rest of it had to be taken with a pinch of salt. There are plenty of cherrypicking in highlighting the agenda that they are putting forward.

The film goes on arguing the merits of staying vegan, i.e. avoiding animal products altogether - no meat, fish, poultry or eggs. The plant kingdom has it all, nutrients, vitamins, proteins and all. There is no need at all for animals in our food. Towards the end, the film refers to many highly controversial studies. To put the seal of approval to these, they resort to name dropping. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a bodybuilder who won all his medal as a meat-gobbling athlete, now calls to go vegan. Jackie Chan and James Cameron appear in the credit roll. To support their hypothesis, they showcase the performers of many renowned international record-breaking athletes, ultramarathoners, Grand Prix racers, weight lifters, cyclists and more.

For every point that they put forward, there are as many counter-arguments against it online. 

The documentary seems to postulate that glucose is the only form of energy consumed by the brain and muscles. Basic sciences tell us that we can use energy from carbohydrates, fats and finally protein in extreme conditions. Glucose (stored as glycogen) is the primary source of energy while fat is an efficient second line of defence. It is agreed in the scientific community that with the widespread of simple carbohydrates and sugars in the modern diet, our body's ability to burn ketones as fuel is dwindling. We are addicted to sugars for the instant rush. Hence extreme sportsmen like triathletes have to train their bodies via intermittent fasting to prepare the body to burn fat and not to depend too much on glucose. The brain also uses ketones.

The excessive carbohydrate intake regime, as advised by the film, will only build up visceral fat. That is a marker of morbidity which may predispose individuals to coronary artery diseases, stroke and metabolic diseases. Never in the film is fat discussed as a form of energy.

Endothelial damage is assumed after observing a cloudy blood sample. It is a too simplistic an indicator of ill health. Conclusions cannot be made after short intervals of change of meals.

It is suggested that our digestive tract is too long for us to be carnivores. Carnivores typically have shorter tracts (as compared to the body height) and herbivores longers ones. But the acidity of our gastric juices is high, just like carnivores. In my mind, it explains perfectly why we should stay omnivorous. 

Anti-oxidants are high in plants. Some researchers posit that the anti-oxidants are to protect plants, not us. Regarding the controversy about plants being able to provide all forms of proteins that we need, the meat camp disagrees.

Heme iron (of animal origin) is portrayed as the bad guy responsible for a myriad of ailments including coronary diseases, stroke and cancer. The counter-argument to this point is that anaemia, caused by iron deficiency is a bigger problem affecting the functionality of millions.  

With the labelling of Alzheimer's disease as Diabetes Mellitus Type 3 as a result of insulin resistance, perhaps we should relook at their suggestion to increase carbohydrate consumption. 

Finally, environmental degradation perpetrated by cattle farming is proposed as a good enough reason to be vegan. Meat eaters, on the other hand, blame big companies for the blatant use of synthetic hormones and mismanagement of wastes for the pollution. They quote instances of smallholder rearers who have zero carbon emission in husbandry and cattle industries. Even in the cultivation of crops, mega conglomerates are guilty of indiscriminate use of fertilisers and failure to rotate crops for soil health.

We must be very wary when celebrities with little scientific knowledge recommend certain products. They probably have more to hide than their botox-treated crow lines. When they rekindle the story of a 'long lost treasure cove' as the panacea of our woes, I would be worried. I smell a business pitch here.

I wonder if all the virtue of being vegan has anything to do with the laboratory-grown cultured meat that was seen in the media recently.

Rather than concentrating on the type of food that we consume, we should instead try to curb overconsumption. Just about 50 years ago, during our schooling days, we noticed that there used to be one oversized student in the whole form. Now, it is almost impossible to find a normal-sized child in any class. Overeating is the problem. 

It is the converse of the Malthusian theory. Malthus, the English scholar, had predicted, in the late 18th century of a world of famine as a result over exponential growth of population overgrowing its arithmetic increase in food production. Time has proven him wrong, but now, we are stuck with a different set of problems.

Dr Sten Ekberg reacts to 'The Game Changer'. His is one of the counter-arguments against the proposals in the film

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