We’re very lucky to have some Malaysian friends in London who are fabulous cooks. This Chinese New Year, we were invited again by our friends in Richmond for a huge feast, along with a number of other Malaysian foodies.

What is it about Malaysians that when we gather together around a table laden with delicious food, all we can talk about is other meals we’ve had, comparing restaurants and discussing recipes and passing on tips about the best places to go to eat fried kway teow or laksa…? Food for us seems to be more than nourishment – it’s an obsession!

My English friends are sometimes surprised when I say that I don’t really celebrate Xmas with turkey and all the trimmings, although my family have a Christian background and we have always celebrated this festival. However, growing up in Malaysia, we never really had roast turkey and potatoes. Our Xmas feasts were pretty much like our Chinese New Year feasts, made up of curries and barbequed ribs and satay and a host of other Asian delights! So turkey and trimmings always seems rather anti-climactic to me…

We ended the meal with our friend’s famous mango pudding (the yellow tub above) – made with mango puree, fresh mangoes, gelatine and whipped cream! – and some brightly coloured  “kueh” which the other guests had brought from Malaysia Hall. We contributed Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen-Daaz to the desserts and by the time we were through for the night, I was pretty sure my stomach would explode…

A marvellously Malaysian way to start the Year of the Tiger!