Air Suam (Warm Water)
I just realised how Malaysian(ised) I’ve become — I now drink air suam (warm water) with my meals, despite the sweltering heat and high humidity that characterises typical Malaysian weather.
It’s a very Malaysian thing, you see. Warm water, that is. You can actually order it from any restaurant, hotel or roadside food stall. It’s such a standard item that it’s not even in the drinks menu and yet you can order it without batting an eyelash or feeling shy about it.
I never really understood why Malaysians have a penchant for it. But now I realise that:-
- Warm water makes me feel fuller faster. (Great news for dieters out there!)
- Warm water lasts longer than a cold drink does — i.e. it can last you for the entire meal, as compared to a cold drink that you can slurp down long before the appetiser arrives — especially since air suam in many places is close to boiling hot rather than on the tepid side so you end up sipping it slowly and carefully so as not to scald your tongue.
- Warm water does wonders for wind in your tummy. Enough said :)
- When your tongue is on fire due to a chili overdose, warm water actually works better than cold water at giving you relief from the chili’s capsaicin, the chemical in chili that’s responsible for that burning sensation. Initially, your tongue will scream in protest upon contact with the warm water. But before long, the burning sensation from the chili slowly dies out.
- Warm water is good for these tough times because it’s cheap; sometimes it can be had for free.
The funny thing is, it took me some 14 years to actually like drinking warm water. And I thought it was bad enough for me to take 2 years to get used to air sirap!
February 3rd, 2010 at 06:29
Let me try that air suam, haha. Interested ako sa fact na it can actually relieve you from capsaicin attack.
February 3rd, 2010 at 06:39
naku..di ata pwede sakin to. i love cold drinks.
but you know what, some people actually recommend drinking warn water (or tea, as the japanese do)with meals because drinking cold water daw will cause the oils and fats of the food we eat to harden in our internal organs, leading to heart attack ba yun, whereas warm water will just dilute it until it passes our of our system. sounds probable naman diba?
nevertheless, i still love cold water!!!
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:45
kg: i’ve read that, too, but i’m not sure if there’s any truth in it.
sheng: i was skeptical at first but found that it does work.
February 3rd, 2010 at 13:35
I agree with you Mimi…Air Suam is really good for the health instead of drinking other cold drinks after eating. I hope to meet you… pls join all the KL Pinoys in our website http://klpinoy.ning.com … we need your tips and advices especially for those who are new here in KL… thanks!