I’m not a very massive fan of historical past nor do I give in simply to the cult of persona. Sometimes, although, tales of the previous a couple of larger-than-life individual draw me in. That’s precisely what occurred once I got here throughout an Instagram submit about former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Historian PJ Thum got here throughout an fascinating doc despatched by the Singapore High Commission to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office within the UK. It was an in depth set of directions about our then-PM Lee’s likes and dislikes in order that preparations may very well be made for his 1979 state go to.
What PM Lee ate and drank within the UK in 1979
Soup was to be served “clear and hot”. I learn some derisive and/or dismissive feedback in regards to the request for “onion soup… without the onions”. That seemingly paradoxical assertion simply signifies that the onion soup is served with the stable items of onion strained out, individuals, no biggie.
Mr. Lee’s favorite fish was ikan kurau and he preferred it fried with wonderful bread crumbs and served with a contemporary lemon. He wasn’t the most important seafood lover, although, because the doc specified that there was to be no crab meat or cuttle fish.
Pork chops have been to be restricted to a single piece of roughly 7 ounces (198 grams) and served with baked beans and French beans. See, that’s why he was at all times so slim.
Steak lovers may be obsessively pedantic in regards to the preparation of their meat and Mr. Lee was no completely different. He was to be served solely an 8-ounce (227 gram) Scotch Aberdeen Angus or American Sirloin and Porterhouse, and Fillet from New Zealand.
The meat first needed to be marinated with Lea and Perrin sauce, mustard, ginger juice, salt and pepper. The meat was then to be fried brown with corn oil until ‘medium done’.
The standalone part on alcohol made me smile, too.
Mr Lee didn’t need served wine by default however would ask when he felt like having some. His preferences have been La Tour St Emilion 1972 and Chassange Montrachet 1972/74 for reds. His record of most popular whites stretched to 4, topped by Serrger Wurtzberg Riesling Spatless 1976 and Brauneberger Juffer Spatless 1973.
Beers needed to be served “slightly chilled” with the record restricted to Heineken and Tuborg. “Beer with curry food” was specified by black and white. I smiled wider once I learn that Mrs. Lee shared her husband’s style in beer. That’s half the battles gained, guys.
His pre-dinner cocktail was to be “Stolichnaya Vodka with Tonic water and a slice of lemon or 1 teaspoon pure honey with juice of half lemon and boiled water in a glass”. This explains why there was some on-line chatter about how particular a few of these requests have been.
Another factor made clear was that there was to be “no alcohol during working lunch” (authentic emphasis).
PM Lee had requested for fruit after lunch and dinner, restricted to papaya, pisang mas and mandarin oranges. And “Sunkist after a curry meal”. It was suggested that he “may require” a cup of Milo or Ovaltine at night time. I can empathise.
Final ideas
I’m positive that to some individuals, this will appear to be only a record of random food and drinks preferences. My fascination stems from how particular a few of the requests have been whereas others have been so usually Singaporean, notably the request for Milo, which just about all of us can perceive.
I additionally recognize his emphasis on excluding alcohol from working lunches. On the opposite, it was cute how he and Mrs. Lee would have sat about sharing the identical bottles of Heineken and Tuborg as he recounted the day’s happenings to her.
More than something, this was an infusion of humanity into the individual behind the persona, and we must always all be capable to recognize that.
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