29 September 2008
Ms. Jackson, "Annabel Jackson: Slow Food in a fast City"
Slow food in a modern day city like Hong Kong where every thing is done at a lightning pace and every type of cuisine can be found on every street corner of the city? The concept of “slow food,” the direct opposite of fast food, metaphorically and literally, may seem a little out of place in the Asia Pacific but not so now. iCUBED.us is proud to interview Ms. Annabel Jackson, one of Asia's most renowned culinary experts and critics with regards to the slow food movement and its growing influence across the globe and the Asia Pacific.
AJ: Annabel Jackson
CL: Chris Lau (interviewer for iCUBED.us)
iCUBED: Please explain to our readers the basics of slow food? What are the main ideas and concepts behind the slow food movement?
AJ: Slow food is not only "against" fast food. It is FOR diversity, sustainability, good practice and fair trade. It is FOR the preservation of local cuisines and eating culture, believing that the loss of a cuisine is as significant as the loss of a language or dialect.
iCUBED: How was the slow food movement founded and how did it develop through the years?
AJ: Slow food was founded in Italy in the mid-80s and is now an international organisation. The HK branch was founded in 2000 by Wilson Kwok; I was a founding member. The increased interest in it over the years in Hong Kong is staggering. All of our events now fill up and we have a core of people who organize different events every month.
iCUBED: Could you literally say that slow food is the direct opposite of 'fast food' in terms of ingredients, processing and cooking?
AJ: I think that is fair. You can eat a bowl of beef noodles on the streets of Hanoi in five minutes - but it takes hours and hours to prepare and is one of the perfect dishes in the world in terms of execution.
iCUBED: The slow food movement seeks to preserve and promote local and traditional food products along with their lore and preparation methods. What types of Hong Kong foodstuffs would fall under this category?
AJ: We are not a political lobby but members would be very concerned, for example, about our overfishing, we have members who only eat fish which are not endangered. We do a lot of educational events e.g. introducing people to the traditions of Pun Choi. We do market visits to help people understand the myriads of vegetables, and what to do with them. We are very supportive of organic farmers and farmers trying to reintroduce things which have died out.
iCUBED: Given your background in English literature, how did you end up so passionately involved in fine dining, finer wining and advocating the slow food movement in the Hong Kong?
AJ: I have written from a young age and cooked from a young age, I worked in a restaurant while I was in university... and I guess everything came together. I have written lots of food books and cookbooks and after that you are seen as an expert (maybe you are?!) and get many opportunities to delve even further into food and wine.
iCUBED: The slow food movement seems to be aimed at Western culinary styles; do you think these ideas can be deemed applicable and adapted to Asian cuisines? If so, has it caught on?
AJ: It began in Italy but it is absolutely not about Western styles only. Different countries and cultures of course have their own traditions and issues, but everyone is now facing issues like lack of fish, poor product, rising prices - all of which can impact literally with people not being able to afford enough food, or having to eat foods which are bad for them. I don't believe slow food would make a distinction between a bowl of fried rice and a piece of Wagyu beef. If it is done well, and responsibly, it amounts to the same thing.
iCUBED: As people in China and across the Asia Pacific seek to attain higher standards of living in the greatest drive towards modernization in history; do you think the concept of slow food will catch on as people have more spending power to eat and consume to their hearts content?
AJ: I think modernization and increased spending power are more likely to destroy slow food than enhance the movement. I think it could take decades for responsible eating to be the "in" thing. But if people are choosing to eat foods outside their own culture, that is a good thing in terms of education about other people's food. But if more people eat, say, shark's fin because they can afford to, I don't necessarily think that is a good thing.
iCUBED: As one of the many ideals behind the slow food movement is the concept of eco-gastronomy – recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet, can this apply to cramped and crowded Hong Kong where nearly all food is imported?
AJ: This is a difficult one since we import more than 90 percent of our food, much of it from China - which as we know, experiences regular food scares. I personally don't buy imported organic vegetables because of the air miles, but I actively seek out local organic produce. Among our members, I see more and more people doing the same. It is becoming easier to buy good food in Hong Kong though, with more and more importers trying to be eco about their selections.
iCUBED: If iCUBED.us wanted to have a slow movement dinner themed dinner meal in Hong Kong, where would we go?
AJ: Our last event was in Yin Yang restaurant where the owner-chef also has her own organic farm. It was great. The colours of even a dip were amazing. Some of the dishes are very traditional, say a chicken, but others were more experimental without being meaninglessly fusion. Pun choi is always a popular event for us, as are visits to a little noodle shop, or for a snake dinner.
iCUBED: What are your own personal favorite cuisines and wines? What are your favorite restaurants in Hong Kong?
AJ: Yin Yang as mentioned is fabulous. I like Bo Innovation. I like eating Thai and Vietnamese in little holes in the wall. I really like Macanese food in Macau, and also the Burmese food in Macau. My personal favourites are, for wine, Portuguese red, Burgundy, German Riesling and Champagne. I think Vietnamese is probably my fave cuisine in the world. I have written a Vietnamese cookbook and lived in Hanoi for nearly a year back in 2001.
iCUBED: You are seen as one of most respected food critics in Asia, are there times when you just want to go to a Dai Pai Dong and eat HKD $12 noodles?
AJ: I think the "critic" does need to put on different hats according to whether he / she is on the street or in a five star hotel but as mentioned before, it is really about the quality and not the price. I love the fact you see a guy getting out of his Lexus to eat a bowl of congee on the pavement. Personally, what I like best is to cook at home!
iCUBED: Thank you. Can I offer you a Big Mac? (Joking)
Hailing from the UK, Annabel Jackson is a writer, lecturer and PR professional. Ms. Jackson has been based in Hong Kong since 1989. She has written eight popular books exclusively about food, cooking and wine, including Street Café Vietnam (Conran Octopus, 1998), Taste of Macau (Hong Kong University Press, 2003), World Food China (Marks & Spencer, 2004) and Modern Indian Cooking (P3, 2004). She holds a number of professional memberships, including Guild of Food Writers (UK), The Society of Authors (UK) and the Circle of Wine Writers (UK). She is also a member of Hong Kong Wine Society, a founding member of Macau Wine Society, and a founding member (and now leader) of the Slow Food Convivium in Hong Kong.
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