Not surprising that we ended up at Tatsuya for dinner again. The evening's topic of conversation was of course the contents of World Wildlife Fund's Singapore Seafood Guide. Selecting sustainable food choices would not be a priority for many, but it is important to me and many of the friends.Okay, before I continue, this post is highly personal to my food preferences and it's not for you to judge my choices. It's second nature to me to question where food comes from, but it might not be so to others. For many, they find my obsession with food (not in the eating way) vaguely disturbing and bordering on neurosis.
Many would know that this Chinese New Year, pomfrets have risen in prices at the wet markets and supermarkets. It's a trend that will continue because pomfrets are overfished and supply is running low. So think twice before you eat pomfrets from Indonesia and South China Sea. Indonesia's grey and tiger prawns are not as plentiful as I thought either. Oh well, I don't eat prawns, so it's no loss that it's on the list. I'm most disturbed that seabass is now not an option for me anymore.
Apparently abalone from China is sliding into the endangered list. But who eats abalone from China anyway?! I stared at the abalone on my plate. "Very fresh. Japanese!" The chefs helpfully chimed. A lovely meal that was. But we've not forgotten an imminent world disaster, again. We keep the other side of the world in our prayers as it reels from the shock of a mega earthquake and Hawaii is bracing itself for first impact of the tsunamis. Not nice. Sheltered in Singapore, what do we truly know of the pain and fear that now grips another continent?
Like this, I might as well go vegetarian instead of the pecestarian diet I'm working hard to maintain. Grrrrr. I'm glad that my time on earth is only so limited. I really wouldn't want to be around in 100 years when it all crumbles. The extreme winter (say NYC and Maryland) and extreme heat we're currently facing will only get worse. Call this talk highfalutin. But remember, your children will inherit this earth which is the result of our actions. That will not be pleasant.
4 comments:
Come to the dark side :) Seriously, I think a lot of it is the initial decision to stop eating meat - once you do, it's really not difficult. Do I still think that certain foods smell good? Of course - but not enough that I want to eat them again (unless I had no choice - in which case I'd eat YOU :)).
Here's my take imp. God makes us omnivores by nature & I believe in the natural product & life cycle. The natural environment works in such a way that all will balance out in the end. If we've got to be on our toes with everything we put in our mouths, meat/seafood/veg even, is life even worth living then? Sorry but that's just me. I only don't care for sharksfin.
Well we should all just live on abalone & oysters then. :P
ice - I think one of the issues is that the food we are now isn't really 'natural' at all. The vast majority of us do not hunt/kill our own food for example - if we did, then we wouldn't be able to eat them in the quantities that we consume them in now.
Also I couldn't kill an animal myself and then eat it. I do respect that others can and are able to do it.
dawn: let me think some more about it. heee.
ice: i'd love to think that way too- that all in moderation and eventually things will balance out even if there're extinctions. that's the way of nature. and i'm hoping that is so. but i'm not seeing that now. a very clear shift of marine life is when i dive, the creatures i see plentiful 10 years ago aren't so now. that's why i'm re-thinking. in selecting food that goes into my mouth, i find it oddly satisfying.
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