Mum’s Greetings from Malaysia – Foodie Excerpts No.1
My parents are currently on holiday in Malaysia, visiting friends, playing tourist and eating lots of delicious food. Mum’s sent us a couple of emails since they arrived at midnight Thursday morning. Not surprisingly, a significant portion of the emails’ content is about the food they are eating over there. I thought my readers would enjoy reading Mum’s descriptions of the yummy food they are eating, and so I asked Mum for permission to post the foodie excerpts from her emails here. She’s given her permission, and asked that I edit spelling and grammar where appropriate (she’s been writing her emails very quickly as she doesn’t want Dad and the friends they are staying with to feel annoyed that she’s spending time writing emails instead of quality time with them!). Anyway, here’s the first instalment.
Hi everyone
We are here finally here in the ole country! Had an uneventful flight …Despite my sore throat I enjoyed the oyster sauce chicken with rice (could not resist chook) while Dad had the beef stew with pasta. We both also enjoyed a side dish of smoked salmon on a bed of rice vermicelli and finely julienned capsicum, carrots and spring onions – quite delicious!
Uncle S and Aunt T are just the same – ever so hospitable, and Aunt T as chirpy as ever even at that time of night (close to midnight when we arrived at their place). We opened our foam box and they were thrilled with the goodies from Australia – we also brought two slabs of scotch fillet, class 1 Fuji apples, some lemons, rosemary and bay leaves, plus the Cadbury chocs. Uncle S wanted to take us for supper (way past midnight by then) but I was dead beat so we went to bed instead after our night cap.
This morning the two men have gone to buy us some brekkie – I asked for nasi lemak (genuine Malay stuff) with sotong and beef rendang (despite my sore throat !) while I am here sending off this email. Actually I hear them coming back now so shall end, till the next time.
love
Mom
Notes:
- From what I know, the food items Mum and Dad brought for their friends (beef, apples, lemons, rosemary and bay leaves, Cadbury chocolates) while quite basic and ordinary in Australia, are all quite expensive in Malaysia, which is why Uncle S and Aunt T were so “thrilled with the goodies from Australia”.
- Uncle S and Aunt T are not relatives; Uncle S is one of my Dad’s best friends, and Aunt T is his wife. They are really lovely people, and Aunt T is a brilliant cook.
- Mum’s breakfast request for nasi lemak included sotong, which is cuttlefish. Some westerners find it strange (and even stomach-churning) to think of eating rice/curry/cooked meals for breakfast, but it’s perfectly normal in many Southeast Asian countries. I’ve trained Jac well, and she doesn’t bat an eyelid when I eat leftover curry and rice or fried noodles for breakfast. Sometimes she even joins me!
- I reckon reading Mum’s emails you’ll be able to see why I ended up being the food pornographer! :)