Friday, December 13, 2013

Nasi Lemak 2.0, Malaysia's Answer to the Question "What kind of Chinese Chinese Are You?"

     The above question is scholar/gentleman Warren Tom's favorite line from Wayne Wang's foundational food movie "Chan is Missing."  I was just finishing note-taking from on the Overseas Chinese from Sterling Seagrave's Lords of the Rim, when a plain white envelope arrived from Hong Kong.  It was the DVD of "Nasi Lemak 2.0." I had ordered in my ceaseless search for quotes from pivotal moments in the arrival of Asian food on our shores between 1941 and 2009.
     Malaysia has one of the most complicated histories in Southeast Asia, which is why its population is about 50% Malay, 25% Chinese, 11% indigenous, and 7% Indian in origin.  There is one official language, Bahasa Malaysia. Chinese speak one or two of six dialects. Other languages heard are Tamil, Telegu, Malayam, Panjabi and Thai.  Islam is the official religion.  Talk about identity politics!
     According to Seagrave, the Overseas Chinese, who have settled here since the 15th Century, have done very well.  Jealousy and resentment have flared over the years since Malaysia's independence from the U.K. in 1957.
     "Nasi Lemak 2.0" was made in 2009, so I'm not sure it counts, but it is worth discussing anyway.  Nasi Lemak with sambal, is considered the national dish of Malaysia.

Some of my favorite parts of the dialogue:

Let me tell you this
If you want to learn to make sambal
Please listen closely
I will say this once
Our ancestors interacted with the Malays many centuries ago…
And started communicating in Malay language
So our cuisine also tend to mix with Malay food
(It’s just like white people learning to cook Chinese food.  Chinese food becomes part of his culture too!  This is basically the same concept.)
Nonya people always cook without using measurements.
(Our cooking is based on estimation only)
Yes we use estimation only.
Stop Asking questions

You should try it.