SINGAPORE, June 23 — “Everywhere all over the world people are lamenting the decline of authentic and traditional food, whether it’s in Italy or Malaysia,” declared popular Malaysian host Jason Yeoh. Axian, as he is more commonly known, has made his mark with his long-running series Taste with Jason, where he takes viewers to food gems in Malaysia. “It’s a problem in the food culture of developed countries where people want an easier way to do things as they’re so busy.”

The 47-year-old is deeply passionate about documenting the heritage, stories and culture of the dishes we eat, and said it’s a way of “recording history”. And the Penang-born host is moving out of Malaysia into Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines for his new series Jason Tastes Asia, premiering tonight on the Asian Food Channel. “I love travelling — whether it’s to shoot a show or on my own. Travelling is living, and there’s no better way to live than by having new experiences.”

What made you decide to venture out of Malaysia for this new programme and why these three countries to begin with?

I would love to travel all over the world. There’s not a country I don’t want to go to discover more about their food and culture. But due to the production period and the length of research required — I need a year at least — we had to narrow down the focus. I’m also not as familiar with the food of Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines compared to say Thailand or Singapore, so we thought we would start with that.

What did you enjoy most while filming such a series outside Malaysia?

Learning about how closely-knit we are as a bigger region and how deeply-influenced we are by the food cultures of different countries. For instance, I saw lots of noodle stalls in the Philippines. Noodles are called pancit in Tagalog and it turned out this name is derived from the Hokkien word “bian sit” which was what the Hokkiens called wantons. And in Vietnam, I see the skin of chee cheong fun (rice rolls) made right in front of me — with grandmother types pounding the rice millet and rolling the dough. That’s something we don’t get to see often even though chee chong fun is a common dish.

Is food always a highlight of your trips overseas?

Not always. What I love most is living among the locals and having new experiences when I travel. Apart from work, I try to take long trips — like spending 15 days in New Zealand, 10 days in South Korea and 20 days in China. I take it as a chance to really live like locals, see how they do things, visit the wet markets and become familiar with the rhythms of their every day life. In our own lives, we become stuck to a routine, we see the same 30 faces every day and things get repetitive. Spending a longer time overseas helps me rediscover new possibilities and ways of looking at things, to better understand others and myself. There are other ways of living and doing things, instead of what you have been used to.

Do you spend a lot of money on these trips?

The beauty of it is you can do it quite cheaply. For instance, I spent only RM1,500 for my 10 days in South Korea. I stayed in a hostel that cost US$5 (RM25) a night and got advice from fellow travellers about taking the local buses instead of high-speed trains. I saved a lot of money that way. I think you don’t have to be rich to travel and enjoy such experiences.

As a proud Penangite, can you tell us what are your favourite spots for food there?

I think too many travellers focus on the popular dishes such as Penang char kway teow and laksa. Food in Penang is more diverse than that. We’re heavily influenced by Thailand and the indigenous Malay culture. For instance, in my family, we would eat plain rice with just durians during durian season and use our hands instead of spoons. Another dish Penang families enjoy is kerabu chicken feet or chicken feet salad (which is also popular in Thailand). Such dishes are less known to tourists and you’d need a local to tell you about them. — TODAY