The Rice Bowl Blog Day 7

Dinner 1905-2140

Stir fried chicken with White button mushrooms with a dash of teriyaki sauce

Oven baked French bean with fennel, onions and leek with preserved Chinese olives.

Angela: on the subject of rice: two days ago we began to develop this rice-eaters narratives where I asked the three dancers to connect to their gustatory memory about rice. Three different anecdotes related through their own mother tongues are now emerging through the colorful tonality and the specific speech rhythm of Teochew, Japanese, and Thai.

This pot of rice is now steaming with anticipation.

Edwin: One significant Asian dining culture that came up in conversation often is the act of leaving the last piece on the dish, clearly wanting to eat it but politely refusing so. We pointed this out to our European counter parts and Japanese dancer Masami sprung to life saying: 'わかる！わかる！' (I understand! I understand!) She has hardly said anything the last 6 days we were here and suddenly, connected over a simple Asian dining culture like an inside joke.

And tonight, during dessert, the last piece of apple solemnly sat on the plate for nearly half an hour.

Tomomi: どうやって、米を鍋で炊くのかを知る。指を入れて第一関節までの水をチェック!

指のサイズによって微妙に違う食感が味わえるかもね。

Now I know how to cook rice with pot over flame. Just put your finger above the rice and check the water level, but we might have slightly different textures with different fingers.

Mimie: ข้าวที่อร่อยที่สุดคือข้าวติดก้นหม้อ คิดว่าเมนูข้าวจี่ชุบไข่ของทางอีสานคงได้ไอเดียมาจากข้าวติดก้นหม้อนี่แหละมั้ง

The most delicious rice is the rice that is almost burnt and is stuck at the bottom of the pot. I guess it is the origin of one delicious north-eastern Thai food called Khao-Jee which is grilled rice, soaked with egg and sprinkled with some salt. Yummy!