NOTHING NEW WITH NOSE-TO-TAIL

Before trendspotters get their nose out of joint, CatchOn is setting the record straight about the latest hoo-haa to hit the food scene in Hong Kong: ‘nose-to-tail’ cooking. Originally coined in 1999 by English chef Fergus Henderson of St John restaurant in London, it describes using everything from offal to neglected cuts of meat in cooking and it’s being touted as the latest trend in Asia. Really? Asians have been nosing and tailing their way for centuries, we just didn’t have a fancy name for it. Filipinos dare you with their dinuguan, a stew steeped in beef blood, all guts and glory. Malaysians have their fish head asam curries. And the Chinese, well, what is it that they don’t cook? Duck kidneys, pig intestines, ox tongue and chicken feet are just some of the local delicacies. In fact, we’re known to eat just about anything…pets included.

Catherine Feliciano Chon