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Food Culture

Notes on Nasi Lemak in London

In Kuala Lumpur, nasi lemak arrives as a small triangle of rice, anchovies, sambal, and fried chicken—the kind of breakfast people joke about as a shortcut to weight gain. In London, the same combination can appear as a £15 brunch plate, described with the calm language of health food.

Streets

Notes on the Birth of Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower

In 1997, Kaohsiung’s new tower stood alone beside an industrial waterfront, its upper floors rising above a city that still expected to grow richer. It had become Taiwan’s tallest building just as the celebration around it was disappearing.

Food Culture

Notes on Nasi Kandar in Malaysia

At a nasi kandar counter, the food is arranged less like a menu than a brown range of curries, fried chicken, fish, and vegetables. A customer points, and the plate only takes shape when several sauces are poured over it.

Food Culture

Notes on Xiaolongbao and the History Taiwan Inherited

At Taipei’s airports, department stores, and tourist streets, xiaolongbao arrive in nearly identical bamboo baskets, their thin wrappers holding the same small pool of broth. The dish most readily read as a symbol of Taiwan is usually traced to Nanxiang, outside Shanghai.

Food Culture

Notes on Ayam Goreng in Malaysia

At a Malaysian mamak stall, the chicken arrives yellow and blistered, its spice paste pressed straight onto the skin rather than hidden under a thick coat of flour. Nearby, the wok keeps turning out pieces fast enough that the tray seems less like storage than a pause.

From a Corner

Taiwan

Notes on Counting Taiwan’s Annual Tapioca

At the end of a night market, empty bubble-tea cups gather beside the bins, their remaining pearls hidden under melting ice. A single drink makes them easy to overlook; multiplied across Taiwan, the beads become a different kind of object.

Taiwan

Notes on Taiwanese Oyster Omelet as Field Rations

A Tainan oyster omelet looks like a fragile night-market snack: oysters, egg, starch, and sauce set over a hot griddle. Put that plate beside the 1661 siege of Fort Zeelandia, and its ingredients begin to look less like a recipe than a list of things available outside the walls.

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