Somehow, I keep gravitating towards reading Chinese books centered around food. Not recipes. But stories. Often, I like to read about food more than I want to eat it. Am a fan of Jiao Tung's stories, and have read all the other titles on Taiwanese food under “台灣味道三部曲”. Found an unread book in the pile of another of Jiao Tung's novels, loosely translated (mine) into 'The World of Gluttony'.
焦桐的《暴食江湖》。作者說：“人類文明的發展，靠的是一張嘴。飲食是一種文化，一種審美活動，緊密連接著生活方式。不諳飲食的社會，恐怕罹患了文化的失憶症。”，也說，“我懷著珍惜的態度，書寫飲食經驗，珍惜每一道美味的菜肴如閃過的吉光片羽，珍惜好餐館如採肩而過的人情，追憶那些奔馳離去的事物。”
20 chapters in this book covered topics from vegetarian food to packed meals, pig's trotters, beef noodles, fried rice, Hainanese chicken rice, alcohol, to fish and peach blossoms. The author truly loves his food and wine. He spoke about weight issues, even attending an 'exercise camp' only to run away from it because it provided food he didn't like. The last chapter spoke of his adoption of a healthy well-balanced diet, cutting down on alcohol and meat, and consciously cooking with less oil, salt and sugar. Sadly, that was done only when his wife took ill and he was plagued with health issues. 年輕時往往揮霍健康，常亂吃一些垃圾食物、危險食物；當年紀漸長，消化系統變得遲緩，卻平添許多飲食禁忌。
也許我們應該再回頭，仔細審視古人的智慧，正如扁鵲告誡我們的，「安身之本，必資於食。不知食宜者，不足以存生」。飲食生活的方式，表現出人生觀和價值觀。
如今我每天吃大量的蔬果，帶著浪子回頭的心情。
The book spoke about hotpot (or steamboat, or in Singapore's case, 'battleship') and what Taiwan has in terms of flavors of hotpot. Cheese and chocolate fondue were mentioned. I have a love-hate relationship with hotpot. Am picky about the utensils, ingredients, and soup stock (no curry or spicy mala Sichuan or Chongqing numbing peppers please, and none of that Korean jigae instant noodles, tofu and spam crap). I'm well aware of the significance of reunion dinners of steamboat. The author repeatedly stressed on this concept of 'reunion' and heartwarming feelings of a hotpot meal.
《論火鍋》談臺灣的普通雞湯底火鍋、日式刷刷鍋、海鮮鍋、咖哩鍋、麻辣鍋、羊肉火鍋、酸菜白肉鍋 。前言指出：火鍋是一種深鍋文化，很能代表中華料理的精神內涵。中華料理追求調和、圓融、團聚，從象徵大團圓的圓桌，到火鍋類的炊具和煮食法，均屬這種調和文化。
火鍋可能是各種料理中最能增進感情的，在人情日益澆薄的年代，大家應該常一起吃火鍋。大學剛畢業時在《商工日報》上班，有一天晚上錦郁的父親在報社對面的日本料理店宴請女兒、女婿，阿騰帶我去飽餐一頓。至今難忘那那清澈的湯鍋，鍋裡的嘉躐魚頭和豆腐、魚板、青菜，對一個窮讀書人，有著一飯之恩的滋味。
Of course I was curious about the chapter on Hainanese chicken rice. It began with the author's visit to Singapore in 1999. He first ate it at a random kopitiam across from Rendezvous Hotel, and was thoroughly disappointed that it was so...sub-par. Heh. He did enjoy Chatterbox's. He also loved Malaysia's version of chicken rice. And like every other person, he had his all-time favorite chicken rice stall. Melaka's Chung Wah (中華茶室) at Jalan Hang Jebat got his vote. And like every true-blue foodie, he was willing to grab a three-hour ride to and fro Kuala Lumpur to Melaka just for a plate of chicken rice. LOL.
《論海南雞飯》敘說吃一碗美味海南雞飯的經驗感想：“一陣感動襲上心頭，啊，我寧可肥死，也要拚命多吃一碗。”
連續兩天的破曉時分，我都陪攝影師劉慶隆在吉隆坡的荷蘭街拍照。天色漸光，群鳥亂叫，車馬之喧逐漸頻繁，鳥聲卻比任何車聲喧嘩。我頻頻催促阿隆動作快一點，拜託你再快一點，因為「中華茶室」就快開門營業了，我只想到他們家的海南雞飯就餓得發慌。
從吉隆坡到馬六甲大概三小時車程，為了吃一盤中華茶室的雞飯，我願意來回搭六小時車。
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