We are what we eat?: Retroactive Post

So, maybe it's not as world-altering as the US declaring independence from British rule, but it's altering my world. Albert came across a really good Time (the Asian version) issue last month and wanted me to read it. As I was busy taking care of lots of other things at the time, I stubbornly told him I'd read it later, so he stubbornly refused to read it before me and instead just passed it on. However, he managed to find it again, and since it's testing week, all I have to do at work is be here, help answer grading questions and help mark tests, so I decided that today would be a good time to read it.

The reason he wanted me to read it was because it was all about food and its connections with the world we live in now, and what it might signify for our future. I was in the midst of reading the fourth article, when I had an epiphanic moment as to what my trip to Hong Kong would be like, which soon extended into how I want to spend the rest of my time in Japan. The article was discussing Mark Brownstein, aka The Food Hunter, and how his knowledge of Asia ingredients is sparking a growth of interest among German and French chefs. Reading the sentence, "The big French chefs, too, are just getting their heads around Asia," made me realize that if I want to go to France and study French cuisine, it is to my advantange to exploit my personal experience with Asian culture and cuisines.

Thus, I've decided to change my itinerary in Hong Kong from eating at posh fusion restaurants like M at the Fringe and Pierre Gagnaire's Pierre, to eating the local Cantonese and Macanese specialties, like the egg tarts and dim sum that I've heard so much about from Albert. I want to get the true taste of Hong Kong, to understand it's cooking as much as I can in the three days I have there.

This further led me to apply this to my time in Japan, and instead of spending my money eating out at expensive Western restaurants or cooking it at home, I want to learn what I can about Japanese cooking, and save my money to take trips to other Asian countries and learn about their cuisines in that way. I hope that developing a strong foundation in Japanese cooking, as well as a broader knowledge of Asian cooking, in addition to my personal knowknowledge of Filipino cooking will help differentiate me as a culinary arts student and later on as a chef. Now, I've got to see if I can curb my hedonistic tendencies to achieve my goals. Wish me luck, ne?