Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea. These are the seven necessities to begin a day according to ancient Chinese wisdom. The 7 ordinary things, not expensive at all if compare to jewelry, but we can not live without them.
Of course we can live without them! Non- Chinese may protest. Like recently, I ran to at least 3 grocery stores to find yeast, sold out almost every where. May be in Germany, people can not live without yeast but can live without rice.
Personally, I would add spices into the seven necessities. Since the social distancing begin, we should avoid going out. A friend told me about an online Asian shop do delivery. The package arrived, I opened it and surprised by my priority: dried chilies, SzeChuan Pepper, 2 different Indian curry powder, Singapore Chilies Sauce. I still regret I forgot to get the Korean Chilies Sauce – Gochujang.
Actually the essence of these seven necessities is love. I remember in my friend’s kitchen, her wall said “cooking is love made visible”. The happiness is hiding inside these 7 things, when we prepare or share food together. I work differently when I know a delicious cake is waiting for me after work, I will be more motivated than without the delicious cake. It is contextual when come to what to include into the list, but it is universal that we can not live without love.
Here begin the 3 little food stories of mine.
1. Hainanese Chicken Rice
My father is a good cook. Among those fine cuisines he made, his seafood rice porridge and roasted rib (Chinese style) were the best to me, my sisters may have other preference. He also has many good characters and in many way he has been my example. Anyway, being mindful or attentive was not his love language. But to my surprise, he remembers my favourite foods!
Every time when I was home for holiday, I woke up usually late because of jet lag. After I woke up lazily and passed by kitchen to get some water, I was surprised by my favourite breakfast already been placed on the dining table. In Malaysia we sometimes have warm food for breakfast.
He would call me around lunch time, tell me not to prepare food, he would buy take away food for me. I did not even bother to place an order, it was happening automatically, how spoiled was I. The take away Hainanese Chicken Rice was one of my favourite. (I know I have many favourite.) Far in Germany, no father, no idea where to get Hainanse Chicken Rice. I have to DIY (Do It Yourself) one, thanks to internet and online recipe.
2. Nasi Uduk
“Nasi Uduk” is mixed rice in Jakarta (Indonesia). It is similar to “Nasi Lemak” in Malaysia, but still very different, my mother and I insist it. As I was trying to duplicate “Nasi Uduk”, I asked my mother for family heritage recipe. The secret of this dish is the chilies sauce called Sambal. I also cooked chicken curry to side with “Nasi Uduk”.
Jakarta is my second childhood home, my mother’s home city. I always spend my long vacation there when I was young, had great time playing with my cousins. My aunt would stopped the mobile food cart at door, and got Nasi Uduk for us. As the smell of coconut milk filled my apartment in Leonberg, and my tears ran down while making Sambal because it was so spicy, and this was so home to me.
3. Fish for Friday, cake for Sunday.
I have 2 German adopted families, one protestant and one catholic. Without the two families, I would not have survived until now and to achieved the impossible. I am an unconventional person, I am suffering a lot for being one. I question myself a lot if I am abnormal or only daydreaming? But they always remind me that I was/ am not insane, it is just extraordinary difficult, and they are doing everything they could to support me because they share my value. Far in foreign country and have 2 families like real family, God is amazing.
Unconventional us still conventionally keep the tradition of “fish for Friday, cake for Sunday.” Fish for Friday tradition is to remember Friday was the day when Jesus died, we refrain meat, and fish is not considered meat at that time (middle age?). I kind of forget about this tradition when I am not with the family. However, it surprised me that I subconsciously prepare fish, and later I realized it was Friday. Other than put the frozen fish sticks in oven, I also made Salmon quiche and pizza with fish topping.
Sunday is the day for rest, Sunday is for everything but work and duty. Family, wander, excursion and great cake! The families also teach me to how to bake a cake. It was not easy for me to practice this holy rest day, as my brain keep showing me the never-ending-to-do-list. Over the years, I learned this wisdom. I realized that the task that might take me 3 hours on Sunday, but if I rested on Sunday, it only take me 1 hour to finish it on Monday. Tradition has its meaning, work life balance, and it made me a happier person.
Yes, my families are my life’s necessities that I can not live without.
They are my firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea.
Appendix:
Just in case you’re interested in how to pronounce these seven things:
柴 米 油 盐 酱 醋 茶
Chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá