Asia's Wonderful DIY Dishes

 

This article first appeared in print and online on 14th July in the Sunday Magazine section of The New Indian Express newspaper https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/food/2024/Jul/13/diy-on-asian-griddles

Asia's Love Affair with Sweet Bean Preparations

 

(This article first appeared online on 28th June and in print on 29th June 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/sweet-beans-sweets-desserts-japan-china-thailand-111687922027909.html)

Raw Beauties!

Showing us that there’s a whole lot more to raw fish dishes than plain old Japanese sashimi are a host of interesting and exotic preparations from as far as Peru to the Philippines. Smart Life introduces you to a few such edible wonders.  

By Raul Dias

It’s safe to say that most of the world’s love affair with raw fish is rather recent. And one that is in its embryonic stages as far the average Indian diner is concerned. Once looked upon as freakishly alien and best left to where it belonged, the raw fish wonder that is Japanese sashimi has ensnared the entire world with its fresh, clean taste and healthy diet appeal. 

Today, sushi bars are an ubiquitous site the world over, with patrons hungry for a piece of that freshly sliced amberjack or for a portion of those gossamer thin slivers of yellowfin tuna—all anointed with a dab of wasabi and a splash of shoyu (soy sauce). And while smoked salmon too has made its way around the world via Scandinavia in the form of gravlax and New York (where it is known as lox), our notion of raw fish preparations is still woefully confined to the above-mentioned two. Not anymore! 

Digging a little deeper into the vast sphere of world cuisine shows us the existence of a whole smorgasbord (pun intended!) of raw fish dish iterations from a diverse number of places that have been enjoyed for centuries in various forms and styles.

Here are a few such raw revelations: 

Poké from Hawaii

Pronounced poh-kay and meaning to “cut crosswise into pieces” this supremely healthy and tasty one bowl Hawaiian origin dish is a very simple preparation that sees short grain sushi rice that has been pre-vinegared as the base. This rice is then topped with diced raw fish and other seafood that can range from salmon and tuna to octopus and sea urchin. A splash of soy, a squirt of Japanese mayonnaise, a dusting of the Japanese spice blend called furikake, sesame seeds and dried flakes of nori (seaweed) finish off this dish that is criminally addictive and clean tasting. Interestingly, very similar to poké is the Korean dish called hoedeopbap that consists of marinated raw tuna served over rice.

Ceviche from Peru

Over the last decade or so the popularity of this paradoxically raw, yet ‘cooked’ fish dish from Peru has reached dizzying heights. This seemingly simple dish is a complex preparation made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají chillies and other seasonings including chopped onions, salt, and coriander. It is the all-important citrus that cooks the fish, turning its translucent flesh into a milky opaque. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavours such as sweet potato, lettuce, roasted corn kernels called cancha and the current hipster chic craze—avocado!

Kokoda from Fiji

Coming to us straight from the swaying coconut trees and cool waters of the lush Fijian islands, this raw fish dish celebrates two of the island’s greatest resources—coconuts and its abundant seafood. Pronounced ko-kon-da, kokoda is a refreshing salad-appetizer that’s perfect after a day swimming the cerulean ocean. Just like a ceviche, cubed white fish like snapper, walu or mahi mahi is first marinated in a citrus mixture so that it cures and cooks and then a splash of cooling coconut cream is added to give the dish its creamy consistency. Diced tomatoes and a few fronds of coriander finish off this dish that is always served in a hollowed-out coconut shell.  

Crudo and Carpaccio from Italy

Literally meaning ‘crude’ or ‘raw’ in Italian, crudo is a super popular and versatile raw fish dish from Italy that can be anything from slices of raw fish drizzled over with olive oil and seasoning, to a chopped version just like a steak tartare that’s always topped with an egg yolk. Similarly, fish carpaccio is the pescatarian version of the thinly sliced raw beef dish of the same name that was invented in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice and named in honour of Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian painter known for his characteristic red and white tones.  

Yusheng from China

Literally meaning “raw fish” the dish is basically a Cantonese-style raw fish salad consisting of strips of raw fish mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. Also known as the “prosperity toss”, yusheng has been a Cantonese favourite for decades with the most common form being the qicai yusheng (seven-coloured raw fish salad) served in local restaurants during the Chinese New Year period. And although versions of it are thought to have existed in ancient China, the contemporary version was created and popularised in the 1960s.

Kinilaw from the Philippines

An interesting raw fish dish that is closely related to not one but two dishes on this list, kinilaw from the Philippines borrows elements from both a ceviche and a kokoda. Hailing from the Visayan region of the archipelago, the name kinilaw is derived from the word, “kilaw”, which means raw or uncooked. Just like a ceviche, the seafood is ‘cooked’ without the application of heat but is rather cured in vinegar. Additional souring agents like the native calamansi (a lime-orange like fruit), tamarind, or green mangoes are added to enhance its tartness. To complete the dish, black pepper, onions, ginger, seaweed and sliced chilies are also added. And in some parts of the country, just like a kokoda, a dash of coconut milk or cream is added to give the dish a creamy, sweetish send-off! 

(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the November 2020 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)

Dance Macabre: Funeral Tales From South East Asia

By Raul Dias

Costing Thailand’s exchequer a jaw-dropping $90 million, the recently concluded five-day long cremation ceremony for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was one of the most elaborate, gold-saturated farewells the world had ever seen. But the extremely high premium on ensuring the soul of the departed enters the next realm with pomp and circumstance isn’t limited only to the country’s almost God-like monarch.
For over a century, Thais of all social strata have been getting funeral books called nang sue ngam sop dedicated to them, as a very integral part of their funeral ceremonies. Ranging in size from proper, leather-bound tomes to more modest flip through, stapled booklets, these funeral books are part of a long-held tradition of gifts given out to attendees at funerals. In fact, the first funeral book, of which 10,000 copies were made, was said to have been written in 1882 on the orders of King Chulalongkorn and dedicated to the memory of his wife Queen Sunanda Kumariratana and his daughter Princess Kannabhorn Bejaratana who died of drowning when the royal barge carrying them capsized into Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River.  
And while examples of necrological literature around the world are plenty—with references to Roman, Greek and Egyptian books of the dead—the Thai nang sue ngam sop is a genre unto itself. Written generally by someone who knew the deceased well, these self-published books often contain detailed accounts from various aspects of their loved one’s life, including personal stories and anecdotes, all illustrated with photographs displaying cherished family portraits, graduation pictures and weddings.
But one of the most interesting inclusions in these books that bring their importance right at the fore of Thailand’s zeitgeisty fine dining scene are the collection of recipes that they contain. Old, cherished family favourites that the deceased savoured during their lifetime find prime position in these funeral books. Reading like any other well-researched and tried-n-tested cook book recipe, these contain tips, cheat sheets and even directions to the best markets to source the choicest ingredients!
So popular is the trend of culling these recipes, that one of the country’s top restaurants Nahm in Bangkok has an entire menu of dishes based on such recipes. Chef David Thompson, the man behind this fine dining haven, boasts of a collection of over 500 Thai funeral books that he painstakingly sourced, each of them featuring a unique recipe that he then distilled into his creations.
Gives a whole other meaning to the term ‘The dead do tell tales’, doesn’t it?

***

There’s no denying the fact that the party-obsessed Filipinos love a good rumpus. One that’s always fuelled by copious amounts of eating, drinking and the national pass time—singing karaoke. Ne’er an occasion goes by in the Philippines without some party of sorts to liven up the mood. And even a death in the family is no exception, where celebrating the deceased’s life is the most important of all things.
In fact, so elaborate and ostentatious can the funeral, and the wake before that get, that, it’s not uncommon for a wake, called paglalamay in Tagalog, to go on for as long as 10 days before the burial! The main reason for this is due to the fact that there are over 10 million balikbayan or Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), with most families having at least one such member working abroad who needs time to make it back for the funeral and burial.
It’s during these round-the-clock paglalamays that the family of the deceased is expected to feed and take care of the mourners who come by to pay their respects, with feasts and entertainment. Yes, karaoke included. And why not? In the Philippines the wake is meant to be a lively affair—a way to keep the grieving distracted and those keeping vigil awake.
Now, all this amounts to a neat little expense packet for the family, that many can ill-afford. So, in order to defray the expenses, it is perfectly acceptable for gambling syndicates to set up shop, slap bang in the middle of the wake, where the proceeds of the bets usually go to the family. The most common of all betting games is sakla, the local Pinoy (the Tagalog equivalent of the term-desi) version of Spanish tarot cards. This game is particularly common at wakes, because the family of the deceased gets a share of the winnings to help cover funeral expenses.
So popular and profitable are these wake wagers, that very often canny gambling syndicates are known to stage fake wakes in order to provide a venue for serious gamblers, because of the general lack of enforcement at funerals. Taking things to levels beyond morbidity, these fake wakes even have stand-in corpses that are often unclaimed bodies ‘rented’ from morgues.
Truly the lucrative business of death at its mercenary worst!
   

***

In her hesitant, but perfectly comprehensible English, she tells me her name is Xiu Ying and that she’s just turned 18. But one look at her waifish, schoolgirl frame and her shifty gaze lets me know that she might be embellishing the truth to a large degree. Dressed in a black sequined, corseted bustier and a matching pair of micro shorts that cling to her fishnet stockinged thighs, she takes center stage, gyrating to the strains of a disco-style pop song. As the song progresses, Xiu Ying begins to divest herself of her costume’s components. Her glossy white sailor hat is the first casualty, while her six-inch high, clear plexiglass stilettos are the last…
You’d be forgiven for thinking that I’m in some seedy strip club in the heart of Kunming. I’m actually at the funeral of an 86-year-old grandfather of five at his home on the outskirts of Kunming—the capital of China’s southern Yunnan province. And Xiu Ying, like thousands of other young ladies is a member of China’s burgeoning funeral stripping industry. Hired to serve three purposes: celebrate the life of the deceased, appease wandering spirits, as well as attract and entertain mourners.
But all this doesn’t bode well for China’s Ministry of Culture, who have warned people to stop hiring strippers, while vowing to stamp out the practice with the help of the police, claiming that “these types of illegal operations disrupt order of the cultural market in the countryside and corrupt social morals and manners.” Interestingly, the business of funeral stripping is more popular outside the big cities. A report in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago, found that in rural parts of China, there were a dozen “funeral performance troupes” which put on shows regularly, sometimes 20 in a month, and were paid roughly 2,000 yuan (about Rs 20,000) by the family of the deceased, for each performance.
Not just China, but even neighbouring Taiwan seems to have cottoned onto this trend. While Taiwan has always had the custom of hiring professional mourners, much like the rudaalis of Rajasthan, it is believed that the funeral stripper evolved almost residually from these paid mourners. Many of whom are known to sing, play musical instruments and even perform acrobatic feats for the entertainment of the funeral attendees. But unlike their Chinese counterparts who perform only at the homes of the deceased, Taiwan’s funeral strippers perform on dianzi huache which are trucks that have been converted—carnival float style—into stages so that these women can sing, dance and do their bit as a truck drives ahead of the funeral procession.      


(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 11th March 2018 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 http://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/south-asias-radical-funeral-customs-death-and-all-his-friends/article23000043.ece)