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 15 January 2018    Food   Dwi Wu

ARE YOU A FUSSY EATER?
Unfortunately I am not. I will probably look down my nose at anyone who is a fussy eater, but I will look on the bright side. I can eat anything they don’t finish. I just can’t handle spicy food at all. But still I am not that much of a fussy eater. I’m never afraid to try something new, even if that occasionally means eating things that make me want to be sick in my mouth (like eating bar of chocolate after I deep into ketchup). Yuck!!!

DO YOU CARE WHERE THE FOOD YOU EAT COMES FROM?
I do care about where the food I eat comes from. Food is one of our most important and basic needs. It provides us with the energy for everything we need to do. And there are all sorts of food grown in all different parts of the world. Locally grown and organic food is more expensive than packaged food. The less we spend on our food, the more we end up spending on our health care. A very small percentage of our income goes toward food, an achievement of big food corporations. However, by eating the packaged and over processed foods, we end up feeding our bodies’ garbage and risk an extra visit to the doctor for something like high cholesterol. By caring where our food comes from, we are getting the most nutrients from our food and ensuring a healthy lifestyle.

WHAT NATIONAL DISHES FROM YOUR COUNTRY WOULD YOU RECOMMEN?
Indonesia is an island country with many archipelagos and many different kinds of dishes. But since I am a Javanese I would like to recommend two dishes which are the most prevalent in Javanese cuisine. First it would be TUMPENG. Tumpeng is a cone shaped rice dish like mountain with its side dishes (vegetable and meat). Traditionally featured in ceremonies like birthdays, weddings etc. The rice its self could be plain steamed rice, rice with coconut milk or yellow rice (coloured with turmeric). The cone shaped rice is erected on a rounded woven bamboo container covered with banana leaf, and surrounded by assorted of Indonesian dishes. Tumpeng describe as the dish that binds the diversity of Indonesian various culinary traditions. And the second dish would be OPOR AYAM. Opor ayam is a chicken cooked in coconut milk. Traditionally consumed with ketupat (rice cake) during the idul fitri (Muslim New Year) celebration in many parts of Indonesia.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GENETICALLY-MODIFIED (GM) FOOD?
Genetically modified foods are safe because otherwise they would not be available and approved. As society we continue to eat processed and enhanced foods. There are a variety of juices and drinks that we consume on a daily basis that are modified from their original form. As a result we have been consuming modified food for years. Genetically modified food can be developed to give us the essentials that we need.

HOW HAS YOUR TASTE IN FOOD CHANGED OVER TIME?
As for me, my taste in food hasn’t change much.. Since I was young I have been a big fan of sweet food even until now I still like them. And I used to hate eating fish before but now I can eat it a little. I don’t like spicy food and I love fried chicken very much. I know some people have changed their taste buds on food over time. And as we get bigger and older, taste buds start to disappear from the sides and roof of the mouth. This may result in duller taste sensations as we get older. Our taste buds can also be affected by other factors too. Exposure to smoke, for example can deaden taste buds on food. Likewise, drinking scalding hot liquids can damage taste buds and lead to decreased taste sensations on food too.

WHAT ARE YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?
The urban dictionary says guilty pleasures are those things we shouldn’t like, but we like anyway. I think this is a contradiction in terms. They are things we do but don’t talk about to anyone. If we really like doing something, we shouldn’t feel guilty about it right? And of course I do have list of thing that consider as my guilty pleasure. 1. Tweeting while doing my business in the toilet. This is, by far, is number one on my guilty pleasure list. I love it and I’ve never told one other person about it. 2. Sleeping late without being interrupted. Oh… wow… what a guilty pleasure. I remember when I was teenager I would go to sleep Friday night ad wake up late on Saturday. Back then I didn’t realize how indulgent that was. What I would do for a solid seven hours of sleep right now? 3. Buying ice cream and chocolate and eating it all by myself instead of sharing. Buying ice tea at star bucks instead of making it at home.

WHAT WAS THE LAST MEAL YOU COOKED?
Yesterday, for lunch I quickly made some sweet and sour shrimp with red, yellow bell pepper and onions and steamed rice. And last night I used the leftovers and made shrimp fried rice by stir frying in scrambled eggs and adding different seasoning to it. And the result taste of the fried rice is totally weird. Sweet and sour shrimp and fried rice is a bad combination.

WHAT’S YOUR PERFECT BREAKFAST?
For me I don’t really eat my breakfast because I usually don’t have any appetite after I wake up in the morning. But a cup of chocolate milk and toast with jelly and peanut butter would be great to start the day.

IS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY VEGETARIAN?
Not at all. Everyone in my family is the same as me. We literally eat everything. However because we are Muslim, we are forbidden to eat pork. We can still eat beef, chicken, mutton, fish etc. My mother used to have a slim body before but now she is too chubby. Her chubbiness wasn’t because she loves to eat but because after she gave birth to her three children the hormones in her body betrayed her and made her look chubby.

HOW HEALTY IS YOUR DIET?
I don’t know if my diet is considered healthy, because I snack on a couple of pieces of fruit during the day. I don’t enjoy a good salad for lunch but I would love it at dinner. I love to drink a lot of milk but I also love ice cream and frozen yogurt, especially the toppings bar. I rarely eat junk food except fried chicken. I don’t crave it much, but when I do, I must have it. Fish is not a big part of my daily meals but definitely chicken or beef are. I love eggs and lean meats like chicken most days. After I eat I l feel pretty content. And I stop eating when I feel full.