Malaysia’s southern neighbour should not try to lay
claim to our fish head curry.
OVER A CUPPA by HOO BAN KHEE
The other night I was watching the Asian Food Channel on Astro,
which featured fish head curry in Singapore. Surprise, surprise!
Those Singaporeans claimed that they were the ones who came up with
the delicacy. What cheek!
My first impulse was to quickly alert owners of my regular
Indian and Chinese restaurants that specialise in fish head curry
to immediately patent the dish lest they be charged with infringing
copyright.
I must say that Malaysians started eating fish head curry long
before Singaporeans did. Only we were enjoying it quietly under big
banyan trees by the roadside.
It was, of course, a nondescript dish until commercialisation
stepped in and some clever cook turned it into something special,
which, just like banana leaf curry rice, became very popular with
Malaysians of all races.
I hope the delicacy will not end up like Pedra Branca or Pulau
Batu Puteh, an island which has become the subject of overlapping
claims between Malaysia and Singapore. The case is now being fought
in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Fish head curry is usually one of the most missed Malaysian
dishes whenever we are overseas.
It must be said that it is a genuine Malaysian dish that is not
available in India, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or even Indonesia. Of
course, the Singaporeans are good at it also. But as usual, they
are just copying and quick at claiming ownership..."
and wat is the name of the creator of this famous dish? tunku
fish brain? tan sri fish maw? datuk fish tail or encik fish
bone?
