Fishy fried fish

Disclaimer:  This has nothing to do with people who want to killed Paul the sotong (octopus) and eat him.

I've got an itchy throat after lunch.  At first I just thought it was because I didn't drink enough water after eating, you know, sort of washing it down.  But after a while, the itchiness still persistly disturbing me.

Then I complained to the makcik about it.  She asked what I had for lunch, and said "ikan goreng tu, diorang guna minyak goreng tu banyak kali, tak baik, tu yang you rasa gatal tu." (It must be the fried fish as they reuse the cooking oil many times which is actually not a good practise.  That's why you feel itchy.)

I love fried food a lot.  So far I manage to stay away from pisang goreng (banana fritters) after mom told me some of the sellers melted plastic into the cooking oil so that the fritters stay crispy longer.  And because they usually use the same oil/wok to fry other kuih, I avoid those as well.

Not that I am such a health freak, but I'm just trying to minimize taking harmful elements into my existing over-polluted body.

I understand from the food seller point of view that they have to reuse the cooking oil to save cost.  I, as a consumer, have no idea how many times it will be use again and again.  And I have no basis to accuse them for making me sick because of the reuse oil.  Perhaps that is something I still can accept.

But adding something which is clearly non-edible (i.e. plastic, melamine) just to ensure the food is saleable and therefore bringing large profits to them?!?!  What were they thinking?  Have they ever thought about others?

Hmm...  I don't want to get too agitated about it.  Maybe tomorrow I'll need to skip fried stuff and eat more vegetables (yikes!) and tofu.

By the way, how long you'll reuse the cooking oil?  Mom told me that she uses twice before throwing it away, "Chef Wan said so'", she said.