About researcher Lee Han Ying:
"I'm a third generation Chinese Malaysian whose grandfather hails from Yongchun County in the Fujian province, and I teach culinary arts-related subjects at the School of Hospitality and Service Management at Sunway University. I also recently graduated in my part-time studies (Master of Ethnic Studies) at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). My research was fuelled by self-interest and spurred by one question: 'Who am I, as a Chinese in Malaysia?'
Most of us (Chinese Malaysians) still call ourselves Chinese (instead of Malaysian) even though we weren't born in or ever lived in China. I decided to start this study to glean a better understanding of who I am, and am approaching the question through the lens of food.
In the name of research, I went on a field trip to Fujian—Quanzhou and Xiamen, specifically—to explore the food culture there. Because I had never been to China before, I invited a friend whom I'd met at a conference. She's a Shanghainese who was also interested in exploring Fujian. Not only did Cai Qing introduce me to insider info, such as the apps that mainland Chinese use to explore food, but she was also a great help when it came to arranging transportation.
Taking four long years, my full thesis revolves around bak kut teh and Hokkien Mee. Let's begin by delving into bak kut teh."