Today Online 31 May 08;
Matsutake mushrooms: This prized variety is grown only in Japan and a handful of other places around the world. Harvesting is difficult as the mushrooms grow under trees and are usually concealed under fallen leaves, which explains their high price — up to $2,725 per kg. Said master chef of Keyaki at Pan Pacific Singapore, Hiroshi Ishii: “Matsutake mushrooms will one day become scarce because these are grown in the wild and can’t be farmed.”
Popular seafood such as cod, tuna, swordfish, king crab and caviar: Excessive fishing, especially of the larger predator fish, has a dramatic impact on these items. It also affects the predator-to-prey ratio, thus leading to an imbalanced ecosystem — more smaller fish are left to devour the ocean’s algae, which in turn affects oxygen levels in the sea and creates “dead zones” where fishing is no longer productive. Chef de cuisine of The Cliff, Shawn Armstrong, said: “Although it is not apparent to the majority just yet, wild fish and seafood on the whole are slowly becoming extinct. To counteract this, stricter worldwide catch limits should be enforced, and the number of farmed fish should be increased. We should also create more awareness to protect the lesser-known vanishing species.”
Pig’s organ soup: This traditionalChinese broth is made with pig’s intestines, stomach and blood, and also contains pork slices, salted vegetables and Chinese lettuce. Its popularity has waned in recent years because people are becoming increasingly health-conscious. Explained head chef of Fairmont Singapore’s Plaza Market Café, Eddie Goh: “This simple dish was once a local favourite but is frowned upon these days because it is heavily laden with high-cholesterol ingredients. Both young and old diners are now more aware of healthydietary requirements.”
Home-made double-boiled soup: This type of herbal soup is thought to be a restorative tonic that can either take away or add “heatiness” to one’s body depending on the variety made. Preparation is labour-intensive as the broth has to be cooked over a slow fire for hours. Said executive chef of Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Eric Teo: “The recipes for these soups are usually passed down from generation to generation. But because of the availability of convenient food and the extensive amount of effort and time required to prepare them, people are not picking up the skills from their parents or grandparents any more. Other foods that require a lot of preparation — such as sea cucumber, fish maw and shark’s fin — will also be less available in future, as the preparation methods would be lost and not many people would know how to clean them the proper way, for example.”
Manchu Han Imperial Feast: One of the grandest menus in Chinese history, this consists of at least 108 dishes from the Qing and Han dynasties and is served over three days. It is extremely rare today and, if offered, is one of the most expensive meals in Chinese cuisine. Where items such as bear claw with sturgeon and live monkey brains were served previously, substitute ingredients are now used as many of the traditional items are endangered species. Master chef of Pan Pacific Singapore’s Hai Tien Lo, Lai Tong Ping, said: “The meal is becoming lost through thegenerations.”
