Well I now know a lot more details about how Melaka was used and abused by various imperial powers, Asian and European, although the History and Ethnographic Museum is quite heavy going, linking some old paintings and detailed reorts of battels and conquests and destructions; none of which mention chillies, or even food.
There is a small community of Portuguese speaking (Cristang) people in Melaka, which is quite remarkable when you think of it, given the Portuguese themselves were forced out 450 yrs ago. Our taxi tour took us to the settlement on the harbour, but the restaurants were closed at that time of the day, in the rain. All quiet on the western front as it were.
There is a Portuguese cuisine restaraunt in town that we went to last night, and the food was delicious and a little lighter than the Nyonya food we've been having recently, but I'm not sure if they are at all connected to the actual settlement.
Back the histrical thing. And culture.
Well it doesn't appear that the ongoing Portuguese connection is the source of much pride or interest from the other locals we've met here. Mind you, the wanton destruction of the golden age of the Sultanate of Malaka, inculding flattening all the mosques and temples, isn't going to endear you to later generations. And certainly, from yesterday's experience of museums and the architectural remnants of churches and forts, that sure is how it seems.
And I could be quite wrong about the impact of the Portuguese via the chilli. Athough not the impact or the reach of the chilli you would think.
Food as a pleasure and pursuit and a site of cultural meaning has seemed very strong in the parts of Malaysia I've enjoyed so far. And clearly the chilli is deeply embedded in that experiecne.
UNESCO project - World Heritage Cities - highliights the way architecture is telling more complex stories. Perhaps we need some cuisine museums, interactive of course, with enough history embedded in them so locals and visitors can connect the past to the present, histrical events and evryday life - with the result (presumably) of a richer experience. More gravy or spices on the bare bones of recorded history.. as it were.
i would agree as to the potential of an interactive food museum or even indeed of the potential for a food/cultural history exhibition eg at the NMA. historical research as to menus at restaurants at different times (eg in australian history); tracing the arrival and dissemination of products including chilis, eggplants, zucchinis, whatever; recipe books from different eras (women's weekly in the 50s i remember had a recipe for rabbit boiled in while sauce with marshmallows which still makes me shudder at the memory); plus the interactive, gustatory element.
ReplyDeletei think this has sensational potential and ought to be studied and developed in serious depth over a chili laced meal with strong red wine - at the end of the year. ... this idea has real legs. ... sure we both know curators we could get in on it....
a suivre, as we say here in the chili-free north.
love des
It is interesting in that the interest (and business) regarding culinary tourism is extraordinarily strong. It is just building the historical (social, political and economic) links that on this little chilli tour taster don't appear to have happened.
ReplyDeleteWell I agree it is incredible to see a language last 450 years after the colonial incursion. Latest research is on linguistic diversity (numbers of different sounds in a local area) which amazingly corroborates the genetic research tracking human migration out of Africa via (decreasing) genetic diversity. All these millenia on - and the linguistic echoes remain!
ReplyDeleteNow I am glad to see you're tucking into some sizzling tofu - but concerned about the wanton destruction - a Chinese dish that turned out a catastrophe. (I think I came close last time I tried wantons ...)