Old age is no excuse for dullness

FOR those of us who used to or still go to the wet market, the most important thing to look out for is freshness. Because if it is not, the food not taste good or may even cause medical problems.

Freshness was the very first thing my mother taught me to look for when I did the daily marketing in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation. I would accompany her to the market, following her around as she went from stall to stall, buying vegetables and what little fish and meat that were available. She taught me to first look for freshness, showed me what to look for and how to evaluate the degree of freshness.

So the freshness check has become my immediate and intuitive reaction in my first evaluation of any food or drink that I plan to buy. And the same goes with wine.