Being in the profession for so many years and having studied TCM to boot, I’m quite aware of some of the good and harm that certain foods can cause. We have often been told to avoid high fat, sugary food. We have also been told to avoid simple starches like white rice and bread. While I agree that we should acknowledge some of the nutritive value and the potential health hazards of certain foods, there is always the point of obsession which we must avoid if we were to ever enjoy eating.

Singaporean author and food connoisseur Chua Lam 蔡澜 has made many videos on food and eating. I wish I could do shows like his someday. The video embedded below is a classic.

If there’s is no cholesterol, it’s not food. Throw it away. I just love the way Mr Chua insists on enjoyment and refuses to behave himself. His good friend 倪匡 once said: “一个人要逍遥快活，有两个人的话绝对不能听 – 1.医生 2.老婆。 一个人要长命百岁，有两个人的话一定要听 – 1.医生 2.老婆。” There is always a price to pay if you seek enjoyment. Ni Kuang presented the paradox in such an eloquent way. What’s the use of living a long and healthy life without any fun? Would you rather live a long and sad life? Or would you rather die young and happy? I follow a Middle Path. And I’m also a fan of puer tea.

The only thing I can’t stand about Chua Lam (apart from seeing him dining with pretty girls) is his acceptance of the title 香港四大才子之一 (金庸,倪匡,黃霑,蔡瀾) when he’s still a true-blue Singaporean. But then if Hongkong offers me more opportunities and local aunties keep complaining about my “immodest” ways as they did with Chua Lam, I might as well take the same path.