Food That Tastes Better by Dr Tan Poh Kiang, Editorial Board Member
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personally speaking Food that tastes better By Dr Tan Poh Kiang, Editorial Board Member was once convinced that the best that a bowl of laksa consumed in the his childhood when he had sat in his meals are prepared by the best company of a great friend has the same mother’s kitchen savouring that very gourmet chefs. I am not so sure (or greater) pleasure score as gourmet same dish. The entire bundle of fond these days. Italian pasta that costs ten times as much childhood memories was re-created The turning point came but consumed alone. I discovered that it for Ego by that magical dish, and he comically one night in the midst of is when all our senses are fully stimulated was changed from a bitter cynic into a Ia degustation dinner prepared by a that our brain registers what we ingest cheerful and pleasant man. Food tastes chef who had worked in Michelin Star as a memorable experience. Food critics better when it is linked to someone or restaurants in Paris and London. may advise that the food obviously needs something we cherish dearly. We were a group of five couples and to smell good and taste great. They may I was brought up by my dressed to the nines. Each guy brought also say that presentation has to be grandmother, as my parents were busy along his best bottle from the home cellar elegant, while ambience has to be classy toiling to eke out a living. Being the and the items on the chef’s degustation and relaxed. Don’t forget that food is never matriarch, my grandma was responsible menu were meticulously paired with the good when taken in isolation – that is, the for ensuring all my aunts (her daughters wines. There was no special occasion; we matching of the right entrée with the main and daughters-in-law) had proper food just wanted to pamper ourselves without course and the appropriate dessert is an art during their post-natal confinement the kids (they were all deposited in one of orchestration that makes a sumptuous periods. That included special soup of our homes where DVDs and the XBox meal. For wine connoisseurs, the matching concoctions, steamed fish and stir-fried kept them distracted). Halfway through of food to wines can make or break the liver with ginger. My favourite dish the menu, one guy remarked, “The dishes dining experience. In spite of all the was pig trotters with old ginger and come in such minuscule portions, I think elaborate preparations described so far, the black vinegar. The smell is pungent I’ll be really hungry in the middle of the story of great food is still incomplete. but delicious. You can’t miss it – with night. You guys want to join me for beef A recent animated film, Ratatouille a whiff, you will immediately decide if hor fun at Geylang later or not?” (Pixar, 2007) gave me an important you love it or hate it. Whenever it was “You’re right! Maybe we can pick insight. Close to the end of the movie, being prepared, I would hang around the up some durians for dessert at the there was a tense scene when the much- kitchen to watch the great chef at work. roadside stalls?” feared food critic, Antono Ego was I was not allowed to meddle with the “Hey, how about the bak kut teh near waiting to be served his food so that he elaborate process except to wash the old my place?” could proceed to destroy the restaurant, ginger. My grandma would let the dish “Good suggestion! If we go for bak Gusteau’s. All the restaurant’s guests simmer for over an hour before it was kut teh, we can enjoy the super teh tarik waited with bated breath as Ego was cooled and put into the fridge. I would from the same hawker centre.” served ratatouille, a southern French dish enjoy every inhalation of the intoxicating The excited banter went on until the comprising tomatoes as a key ingredient, aroma of ginger, vinegar and sesame oil. waiter arrived with the next dish and our garlic, onions, courgettes Years after my beloved grandma group hastily hushed up, not wanting the (zucchini), aubergine had passed on, an chef to hear about our post-degustation (eggplant), poivron plan and feel hurt. (bell peppers), carrot, I have since learned that the pleasure marjoram and basil, derived from food is not necessarily bay leaf and thyme. merely a result of the quality of the food He took a cynical bite or the skills involved in preparing it. and was immediately Truth be told, many of us would admit transported back to 18 SMA News january 2010 personally speaking elderly patient consulted me for an acute backache. I inquired about the possible contributing factors to the back pain and found out that my patient had been busy cooking for her daughter-in-law’s confinement. I shared with her my knowledge of confinement food and she was incredulous that I had a huge relish for pig trotters. She and I had a kitchen in Toa Payoh. I was once more good laugh when I explained to her why a boy squatting next to the charcoal a western doctor would appreciate a stove, fanning the fire while sniffing traditional dish meant for women, one that familiar smell. It would be an that incidentally has loads of coronary- understatement if I merely said I had a than before. With the calorie limitation, clogging potential. good meal of pig trotters that day – it I have thus learned the wisdom of A few days passed and I had forgotten was an emotional meal where all my making good food choices as well as the about that consultation until late one five senses came alive as I recalled my company with which to enjoy so that the morning, an unmistakable fragrance childhood and the immense love of my food I eat will always taste better. wafted through the clinic’s dispensing grandmother. area into my consultation room. However, I have discovered to my Dr Tan Poh A stack of four aluminium food trays chagrin that the same calories taken in Kiang (MBBS, 1990) is a family was brought into the room by that old now produce vastly different effects as physician who lady. She said, “I’m not sure it is as good practices in a compared to when I was in my twenties. public housing as your grandmother’s but I hope you Needless to say, I have had to change estate in the heartland of enjoy it.” This was a number of years my modus operandi from “I live to eat” Singapore. He before Ratatouille but when I sank is privileged to to “I eat to live”. Anyway, many reports practise the my teeth into the trotters and gulped have alluded to calorie reduction as the art of healing and enjoys writing in his free time. He can be down the pungent dark sauce, I was key to longevity. Whether it is for vanity contacted at email: [email protected]. transported back into my grandmother’s or longevity, I find myself eating far less Osler's Notes The importance of diet is recognised as central to health. One of the most striking characteristics of the modern treatment of disease is the return to what used to be called the natural methods -- diet, exercise, bathing and massage... Dyspepsia, the besetting malady of this country, is largely due to improper diet, imperfectly prepared and too hastily eaten. One of the great lessons to be learned is that the preservation of health depends in great part upon food well cooked and carefully eaten. SMA News january 2010 19.