Last evening I went to the most epic wedding banquet ever, so epic that they brought us back to 1920s Shanghai.
It was magical… the music, ticket booth, train installation, men and ladies all dressed up in that era! Felt so throwback. It was so awesome they even had lobster in the starter!
But what I’m going to share with you this afternoon is how I go to weddings with a lot of good food and leave without gaining weight.
Typically, Malaysian-Chinese weddings will serve a 8-10 course meal, something that usually does no favors to your waistline. So how do I prevent gaining weight?
I don’t eat all the courses that get served and I choose what I put in my body!
The first cold dish course is always the hardest to resist, mainly because everyone’s hungry. They’re also usually the dish with the less bulk, so just eat what is socially appropriate if you’re starving. Just remember to scrape away the mayonnaise.
The second dish is usually a soup. If it’s shark’s fin I don’t touch it both for moral and health reasons. Sharks are known to have mercury levels that exceed safe levels for human consumption that the FDA advises people (especially pregnant women) to avoid it. Many other sources have concurred and so I figure I don’t love it enough to pack on the mercury into my precious temple.
The third dish, typically a steamed grouper is served. I don’t eat that because according to the Chinese elders, grouper is inflammatory and exacerbates asthma in people who have it. I personally have experienced the ill-effects of fish from the grouper family. So yummy but wheeze wheeze wheeze… no thanks 🙂
The fourth dish is usually some chicken. They either come steamed, fried, or roasted. I eat no more than two pieces, but usually just one big one.
The fifth dish, usually beef or lamb. I eat whatever clean protein there is, but as a delicacy and not a stomach-filler as it’s usually drenched in starchy sauces with a lot of chemicals in them.
The sixth dish, usually some tiger prawns. I eat what I want as long as it’s not covered in batter. If it is, I peel and throw the batter away and eat just the prawns.
The seventh dish, typically vegetables containing mushrooms and greens. I eat a lot of this!
The eighth dish, the fried rice. Half a small bowl if I’m still hungry. Otherwise, I just have a quarter bowl of it. Treat this as special as caviar. If you don’t see it as such, just don’t eat it!
Dessert – If the desserts are rich, I take a bite and throw the rest away. If it’s light and comes in a bowl, it really depends on how sweet it is. If it is light, I take everything. If it’s heavy, I take two spoonfuls and abandon the rest.
So I usually just eat 6 out of 8 dishes, and the only thing I eat for bulk is the vege dish.
That’s my little secret on how to survive the 8-course Chinese Wedding banquet. And oh… stay away from the fizzy drinks and opt for tea or water.
One or two glasses of alcohol is standard for toasting and socializing, as long as it’s not drowned in syrup. So go for the whisky or wine, not the beer and vodka-orange. Hope you’ve been enlightened! 🙂