So are we going to have food copyrighted as well? At least that’s what Malaysian minister Ng Yen Yen has pronounced in the recent food fair in Malaysia. Judging by the food that she has listed as ‘originated from Malaysia’, she has an obvious intent of creating some trouble with her neighbouring south east asian countries.
So what if the food such as Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese chicken rice, chilli crab and bak kut teh REALLY originate from Malaysia? Different countries will have different ways of cooking and spicing the ingredients to suit the taste buds of the locals which therefore induce a change in flavour from the original. Same way as we HUMAN all originate from Africa but that does not make me an african. It is the way evolution change us to suit into our current cultures that make me a Singaporean. And if these food were better marketed in other countries as compared to its orginating countries, then the malaysian minister should instead be thinking why such things were allowed to happen in the first place rather that stamping their authority on the food and accuse other countries of hijacking it. It was really uncalled for and serve her right if all those verbal bombs come dropping in becoz of that.
As to me a passionate food lover, it doesn’t matter where the food originate from. Things that make me salivate will induce me to buy it without any considerations regarding the origin of the food. I do not have to go all the way to hamburg to get my hamburgers since I can have it sweet and soundly in the comfort of my own home. And oh.. Did I mention that hamburgers originate from Germany and NOT America? Anyway, does it matter??
