Different
people have different ways of preparing and consuming food. Such as the Malays,
the Peranakans, the Chinese, the Indians and of course Singaporeans.
Food preparation:
Social
significance: We have always known what is special to eat in a particular
country. Of course, ingredients would vary according to the climate and
environment of that particular place. Such as the Middle-East and Southeast
Asia, their environments are different and that would affect the type of food
served in the countries.
The
environment and climate would also affect the cooking method. Places with hot
temperatures or inland countries would have either dried food, or preserved food
with more spices, so that their food will be able to preserve longer, and it is
not near a source of fresh food. So spices are used to enhance the flavor.
Places with tropical climates will be able to access wood and use fire to
roast/other cooking methods.
The
Malays live in a tropical climate which allows them to plant rice, fragrant
rice which need not soak in water before cooking. They also have beaches,
providing an abundance of coconut, which is present in most Malay dishes. The
Indians are further up North and temperatures in the country are much higher
than in the tropical countries near the equator, less rainfall. In effect to
this, their rice is much drier and needs to be soaked in water before cooking;
their rice is commonly known as Basmati, or long grain rice.
Cultural
significance: People are of different races and religion, e.g. Muslim,
Buddhism, and Hinduism. Malays are generally Muslims, and they are restricted
to Halal food, so no pork or lard is to be consumed by them. Some Buddhist cannot
consume beef. While Hindus believe that Cows are sacred animals, so cows are
not to be eaten.
Food consumption:
Social
significance: India could be that their social economic situations do not allow
them to purchase metal to produce utensils. Using their hands would be a
substitute; after all, all utensils are influenced by hand functions. It is
economic on water as it is not easily obtained in India. Banana leaves are used
as “plates” in India as it may be because it is friendly to the environment, it
is biodegradable and it may be because it adds fragrance to the food. Southeast
Asia also uses Banana leaves, as it is common in tropical countries and adds
fragrance to the food. Such foods include Nasi Lemak and Otah.
Places
with colder environments will increase the amount of food consumed by the
people living there. People tend to eat more if there are living in cold
places, so that there will be more food as a form of fuel to produce more
warmth to maintain a constant body temperature.
Cultural
significance: Take note of who is eating what. If you are among Muslims at the
table, don’t expect pork to be served. If there are Hindus or Buddhists
present, don’t expect beef to be served. And, if there are Chinese present,
look for plenty of dishes that include pork since that is a mainstay in the
Chinese diet.
