Stalls at Geylang Serai Temporary Market
The past weeks must have been a tough time for many hawkers in Singapore. First it was news of the Indian rojak stall then we have another food poisoning case from another steamboat restaurant also from Geylang. Things cannot be more serious than it already is. In the former, the news that 3 lives (including 1 unborn) were lost over food-borne contamination taken place at the Geylang Serai market have shaken our island of food lovers. This is by far the worst case of food poisoning in Singapore with over 100 cases of food poisoning and 3 deaths. My heart goes out to the lives of those affected including victims and the hawker involved whom I know are forever altered.
For someone who loves good food, to say this is life’s saddest tragic moment is really an understatement; yet as someone from the food industry, this serves as a sobering reminder that we must remain vigilant in protecting the interest and well-being of all consumers at large.
Inevitably I cannot help myself but to ponder over the overall food safety of Japanese food. Because of my work I have traveled many cities around the world, met many Japanese food service retailers and I cannot say food safety is not something that bothers me when I think about Japanese cuisine in different parts of the world. I recall one of my recent conversation I had with O, who owns one of the largest sushi chain in Egypt about food safety best practices when working with raw or sashimi.
To the well-protected, hygiene-conscience Singaporean, food poisoning cases are bad enough and death from food poisoning is all the more unheard of. We have all the resources of government agencies and health boards to check on hawkers, food retailers and importers that we feel realtively safe with the overall food standards in Singapore. We may be shocked to know that death from food poisoning is not that uncommon or unimaginable in some parts of the world. In fact, in Egypt there are dozens of cases of food poisoning from eating sashimi and even death every year. To me, not only that’s unthinkable, it is absolutely unacceptable.
Partly also why A (O’s wife) is never a fan of sashimi or anything raw. Would you risk your life if you cannot be sure the raw ingredients you are served are of the best possible freshness, handled by trained chefs who meet acceptable food safety standards? You gotta be kidding me. You bet I’ll pass.
I’ve always made a point to touch on this topic of Japanese food safety when it comes to working with raw seafood in all our sushi classes. Those of you who have been to my classes will be familiar with ”Ya right over my dead body…” when it comes to unproper handling of raw seafood when served as sashimi. In many ways from what have transpired, these words are almost become a prophetic.
A trainee sushi chef at work
I shared with everyone my first experience working with raw seafood and how I freak out when I discover parasites on my “fresh” fish I was working on. To have those parasites staring me before my eyes like that, trust me it is enough to change the way I see raw seafood forever. My conviction for safe sashimi-grade seafood is forever engraved in stone after that experience. Most of us need to see to believe and I know most (including food retailers) won’t share the same conviction because they’ve never had the chance to witness it but I did and I’m afraid I cannot pretend I have seen nothing or learn nothing out of it.
And that’s why the trained hands of a sushi chef will know how to treat and cure seafood that are certified sashimi grade which are safe for raw consumption.
If you love good food, you want to enjoy with an absolute peace of mind. There is no compromise at all because I trust my sushi chef and this relationship is sacred.
And of course A overcame her apprehension and started her own indulgence in toro and sashimi when we were in Tokyo last year. Amusingly she told me she never realize how enjoyable and satifying sashimi really is. As long as you trust the food and the people handling it, we become free. Free to enjoy the good life.
