‘Tasting’ the identities wrapped up in food


ON the first day of Ramadan, March 23, I received a surprise food delivery from Mohamad (not his real name), a 26-year-old former postgrad student. Moha-mad’s mother had prepared kouyteav sachko (mee Champa), a Cambodian soup noodle dish for my iftar-cum-dinner.

Mohamad’s parents are refugees from Siem Reap, Cambodia, who came here in the 1970s. According to historical and ethnographic materials, about 250,000 Cambodians and Vietnamese people (sometimes called “boat people”) arrived in droves, fleeing persecution and unjust death. Of these, about 10,000 were accepted in Malaysia and some received permanent resident status.

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
   

Next In Letters

Celebrating 50 years of Bahrain-Malaysia diplomatic relations
Use ChatGPT with integrity and virtue
The time to act is now
Emulate sincerity and humility of children
Online safety: Everyone has a role to play
Don’t deprive others of PTPTN loans
Bold measures needed to address road accidents
Be tougher against red light beaters
Effective way to pursue change
Practice flexibility to have a broad view and balanced life

Others Also Read