Kerabu Mee Hoon

One of the most delectable snacks to have in the afternoon is a plate of Kerabu Mee Hoon to spice up one's appetite.
This is a simple to make dish which one can easily whip up at home; provided that you have the recipe to make a great-tasting kerabu, which is a type of appetizing salad served from the Peranakan origins.
One of the best I have tried so far is still from this old man operating a small stall at the Padang Brown area; and he will usually only start his business from 2pm onwards.

Lok Lok or skewers of food dipped into the boiling water is one of the main attractions at this place, the little stall selling local and traditional cakes and this mee hoon is not one to be out shadowed as its customer base would gather on time to await the goodies when the time approaches.



Kerabu Meehoon; simply rice vermicelli fried with an assortment of spices and leaves to lend it that appetizing flavor and trust me, it will make you want more after that first bite.



I think I shall learn to make kerabu and see if I can make my very own version of this kerabu meehoon?

Glutinous Rice and QQ in Ice desserts?

Remember this place named after a famous and intelligent scholar in China; Scholar Tong Pak Fu? (Read here)
Well, we have recently revisited the place during the weekend; to relish the tastes of the desserts and also to battle the heat and high humidity from the crazy weather we have these days, besides spending time like the old days (before marriage :-)



As I have previously described the place, I shall jump directly to the desserts we ordered to save the time of reading through my lengthy description on the place alone (yes, I do know that I can be extremely lengthy with words sometimes;)

The Glutinous Black Rice Ball with Coconut and Mango 
(Hubby is a fan of glutinous rice, as most people are, with the exception of yours truly as it gives me indigestion)



Huge cuts of fresh and sweet mangoes are a to-die-for for mango fans out there.



Glistening with pride in the light; the generous lump of sinfully rich glutinous black rice



This is definitely a place to be for anyone who has a sweet tooth and a soft spot for glutinous black rice as there are many varieties of the black rice served with many more different ingredients.

Sunmelon with QQ Balls; fruity and refreshing delight me more with its vibrant flavors bursting with sourness blended with the sweet scent of the sunmelon.



The spoonful of the 'popping' QQ balls; which sorts of 'Pops' and then burst with a little sourish juice when you bite on them.
Cute, but I would prefer the chewy black pearls anytime :-P



(My favorite shot; and for those of you who have 'liked' my Facebook page and feel that this is familiar, yes, this is my cover photo for the page at the moment :-)

Our desserts...before we devoured them!




I enjoyed the lovely and picturesque photos/paintings they hung on the wall; depicting the beautiful Suzhou; the place of origin of Scholar Tong (oh yes, I have been to Suzhou too and I can vouch for its beauty!;-)



We had the whole cafe to ourselves at that time and there was so much privacy.
I guess we were just lucky to be there during the non-peak periods or else, there are usually patrons there throughout the day too.

Maybe the next time we should try their other signature desserts; but we will need to come in a larger group; 4-5?

What Penangites enjoy for a snack?

My previous post highlighted most of the local favorites on the island of Penang, and most of them can be found all over the island throughout the day; be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even supper.
There is no fair distinction between what defines a main course or a snack; although we like to believe that noodles/rice-based meals; basically also referred to as carb load definitely outlines what is seen as a main course.

As mentioned earlier, Penang is known to many as a food paradise, and the previous list only compiles most of the favorite local delights and is in no way justified to define the complete food guide to Penang food; for there are more that the locals enjoy throughout the day.
Malaysians love to eat; and that is evident from the many shops, restaurants and roadside stalls odd operating hours which could last up to 24 hours, for some of them!
So, how can the locals of a food paradise be left out in snacking between their meals or enjoy light bites at any time of the day?

Let me introduce a few more local delights that the local relish in between their meals; or whenever they feel like it.

Rojak


This can be almost known as the local version of a fruit and vege salad; but with a more exotic and adventurous flavor to it, as instead of the usual salad mayo-based dressing, the rojak consists of properly chopped fruits (usually pineapples, mango, cucumber, jicama, or other crunchy vegetables/fruits).
The fruits and chopped vegetables are then mixed in a bowl with slightly spicy shrimp paste tossed with grounded nuts. This can be found in some coffee shops, food courts and some food stalls, but some of the food bloggers can tell you that this is simple enough to be made at home as long as one is able to get hold of a bottle of the shrimp paste which can be found in supermarkets and bazaars.


Popiah



Another vegetable salad using a unique type of rice flour based wrap; which is getting hard to find. The vegetables used are usually jicama; a crunchy and juicy one stir-fried or also known as mengkuang char/jiu hu char and then put in some tofu, fried eggs and sometimes add in sweet shrimps before placing them on romaine lettuce then rolled up with the wrap. The sweet gravy or chili paste is then added into the roll to add to the flavor.
This is usually considered as a light snack or even as an additional dish during meals to be enjoyed. This can also be easily made at home; but the trick is to find the right wrap; which is quite difficult. One of the best handmade wrap can be found in one shop in Penang.


Pasembur



Another version of salad is this; which in some version uses raw fish/sashimi as an additional ingredient and is known as 'Raw Fish salad'. The Pasembur is different from the Rojak as the ingredients consist of usually fried items such as fried prawn crackers, fried beancurd, sliced cucumber, flour rolls served with a type of sauce made with grounded nuts. Toss sesame seeds on top of it and it is ready to be consumed.

More sweet treats coming up next....

Egg Tarts and layered crusts

(From the previous post)

The egg tarts we packed from our dim sum breakfast, were a delight to my hubby especially, who is a big fan of egg tarts and likes to try out egg tarts with a reputation.

The egg tarts may look like most egg tarts which one can get from almost anywhere, but the layered crisps of the crust is one of art and culinary expertise.



I was once told by many that a good and traditional egg tart depends on really, the crust itself.
It is a skill to make the thin layers of pastries and then pile them above each other.
The egg pudding must be yellow and soft yet sweet in taste accompanied by the light fluffy layers of the crispy base.
I am not sure how true this attributes to judging the quality of an egg tart, but I definitely agree that the light, crispy, and layered crust is no easy feat.

It must be light, soft, yet maintaining the crisp texture to maintain the crunchy taste but at the same time, to be able to hold the weight of the dense texture of the steamed egg pudding.

This egg tart definitely has it all; according to hubby, and definitely one of the better ones he had tried.
So, the verdict?
I am bookmarking the dim sum restaurant for my future visits to Hawaii, or O'ahu for that matter :-)

Any other tip you have to share on what makes the best egg tarts?;)

They Come Wrapped in Leaves

While we have various Western cakes made of flour, sugar and butter, our local cakes of varying culture breeds incorporate their very own resources and hold a history back to the past.
Most of the local Malaysian kueh; which are bite or snack-sized cakes, come from a diversity of cultural backgrounds and each of the race and ethnicity living in this country has their very own culinary delights to offer and they just blended in harmony with each other.

Many of the kueh came from their origins from the mix of the culture; particularly the Peranakan which was a mix between the Malay and Chinese from the foreign settlement in the straits in history. This gave birth to the introduction of the breed of both unique culinary delights to form what we see in the many varieties of food we have here today; making the country Malaysia a world-famous food paradise.

What is there more to say, when we have so much to choose from for a simple meal of breakfast, or lunch, or dinner? There is no wonder that Malaysians are often found enjoying a drink or a snack at any time of the day; and it is true, if you are a tourist traveling to Malaysia, you will be amazed to see the many stalls open at all odd hours and it is like the people never stop eating!

Alright, back to the kueh, I have introduced many different local kueh/cakes in my many posts previously and today, I have a list of kueh which I have had the chance to learn about them recently as I visit a relative's house after the Qing Ming festival in the previous post.
These kueh/cakes, are unique in their own ways as they come wrapped in their leaves.

Yes, banana leaves or lotus leaves are usually favorites or preferred wrappers for the cakes due to its natural fragrant aroma emitted which gives an additional appetizing flavor to the cakes.

Kuih Kochi (or Koci) is a traditional Malay kueh/cake which is made of glutinous rice and is rather sticky in its form.

The color of the cake is usually dark or dull; or sometimes white (recent variant) on the outside, but inside is stuffed with a sweet filling of grated coconut with brown sugar.
This version of the cake; even scattered a little of the filling to fill the surface of the cake.


This traditional Kueh is rather popular in states along the East Coast of Malaysia; but can also be found around the country and in our neighboring countries like Singapore and Indonesia.
The older community passed down this sweet delight, but sadly, it is no longer found in abundance as in the past although there are many recipes out there in the cyber world sharing the way to make this cake.
It is also unique that this cake is known as a Passover cake; or a type of dumpling among the foreigners in the country and is often seen at funerals. The dark color of the kueh symbolizes the solemnity of death while the sweet filling offers hope of resurrection.
As mentioned, the cake is popular from its origin and though for many reasons it is consumed, it still remains a delightful snack for many especially when spotted at roadside stalls/carts selling traditional cakes.
In fact, there is poetic song/saying from the East coast singing praises for this cake whereby it describes the simplicity and sweetness of the cake which makes it a suitable snack for the toothless elders.
"Ada sejenis kuih tiga segi.... Di luar tepung di dalamnya inti... Makanan orang tiada bergigi..."


The following cake is probably an adaptation from the famous Vietnamese Banh Tet; or a type of sticky rice cake originating from Vietnam and is highly popular in the country including Thailand and Cambodia.
It is rarely found here; although it can also be an innovative twist of flavor to our local cakes.


Whatever it is, this is a sticky rice; probably made of sticky glutinous rice again and wrapped in banana leaves.
Like most of the local cakes, what differentiates each of their type is the filling and the flavor inside the cake and this is creatively made into three small mounds and tied in two parts to create the three small partitioned mounds.



The filling of the cake is sweet banana; cut into large slices and stuffed into the sticky rice.
A rather unique type of cake, I must say.




The Bak Chang; or the glutinous rice dumpling is a common type of dumpling found among the Chinese community as it originates from China.
Contrary to its sweet dessert-like dumpling counterparts above, the Bak Chang is one that is filled with pork or chicken meat, and the glutinous rice is fried with condiments like nuts, mushrooms till it is brown and fragrant.
The dumpling is then wrapped with lotus leaves; to add to the aroma of the taste of the glutinous rice and meat.



The dumpling can be found in stalls around Malaysia, but it is extremely popular during the fifth month of the Lunar calendar when the Chinese community celebrates the double fifth festival; known as the Duan Wu Jie or the Dumpling Festival/Dragon Boat Festival which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese Lunar calendar.


I have posted on this Bak Chang before, but expect to see more details of this dumpling when the festival comes again:)

Salty, sweet, and the different filling in the cakes just creates the whole new varieties of local delights available in the country, and how can Malaysians ever tire of eating when the list of food is just endless?

I bring Th(R)ee cakes!

Simplicity is more may be the best phrase to sum up the things I am about to share with you here; something serving as a keepsake from my trip in the form of food, or to be more precise, cakes, found from the shelves of convenience stores, local Walmart, and even food stores.
Being a pickyeater, I am not readily accustomed to almost anything that is available and though it may sound of inconvenience, it actually paved the perfect excuse for me to go on a food hunt; yes, for my own food; though hiding in the bushes and preying on unsuspecting animals is far from my mind. I am a civilized girl living in the modern and advanced 21st century, for goodness sake.

Besides, who needs to go on an actual hunting in the woods when we have our concrete jungle dotted with cemented buildings and marts with swinging electronic doors which opens automatically to welcome you?

Choices are in abundance here; we are after all, talking about hypermarkets here and I managed to pick one or two.

Shannon Cake; which is supposedly a healthy choice of a mini cake due to its sugarless content and ingredients used.
Guess what, the cake is not exactly a local one either as it is a famous cake from Europe.


Golly, I travelled this far to get something from a different continent, fascinating!

Mini in size, the taste was like it sounded; just one bite, or maybe two or three, if you have really small mouth like mine, and that's it, the cake is down your digestive tract.

It was quite pleasant in taste; and it was as it claimed; sugarless that the only taste one can make out is that of the flour and maybe the very slight hint of banana used in the making of the cake, or so I think.



This is another foreign cake; but I was quite delighted to see it (as usual) that I got it just to try their local taste of this Japanese pancake widely publicized as cartoon character, Doraemon's favorite (or only) food!
The Mini Red Bean paste Dorayaki


A tad too sweet for my liking; I think our local version of the Dorayaki found in Jusco in-house bakeries are better.

Finally, the last one is the authentic Guangsu Biscuits which is truly and definitely of the local China origins.
(Read my first encounter with this biscuit here; which I found in my own country)

What's more, this Guangsu or Jiangsu biscuits were born in the exact same place I was visiting and therefore, how could I fly off from this place without bringing samples of this biscuits from its birthplace?


This was definitely different from the one I had the first time; but then the earlier version was made locally in Malaysia.
I am not sure whether this is truly the original one, but it is definitely made in the province itself; where it was born.

The Guangsu/Jiangsu biscuit is a humble mode of meal for travelers; or particularly scholars or food for the middle-income to lower class families due to its availability and lower cost in making. Consisting mainly of dough, water and sugar, this biscuit serves to fulfill the hunger and provides sufficient energy to last one on their trip. The best part about this is that its dry texture enable it to be kept for a long time; thus making it a preferred food for traveling or for storing during the hard times.
It is a theory which I have come to believe after reading many Chinese-related novels and also watching various movies/TV series of the same theme.


It was not to be expected as a fancy food; in fact, it did feel like eating a unleavened bread or biting on flour dough.
However, what went through my mind was not on the taste of the biscuit itself, but rather, the story of its humble beginnings and how our forefathers and people in the past survived on potatoes, starch, flour and unleavened bread and it made me realize our glistening fortune today; right in our faces.

That, I believe, is the magic of the Guangsu biscuit; whereby it is not to satisfy one's culinary buds but rather as a modest reminder of one's past and the long road we have come to be what we are today.
Scholars who have thrived on this biscuit while thronging the roads to their bright future; brave men who filled their hearts and stomachs with this bread while battling their way to the glory of their birthplace, anxious pheasants on the run or in hiding throttling with bits of these bread covered in dust for their children are just a few of the scenario that comes to mind.
A bittersweet journey reminiscent of this biscuit; which I hope will be passed on to remind our future generations as well.

They say that souvenirs often bring home memories of a vacation with you; but I say these three cakes brought not memories of the trip but rather of the hilarity of finding something non-local to bring home and of all, the local Guangsu biscuit speaks of the most profound effect albeit the most bland in taste.
It was definitely a lot more than what I would bargain for, but it made the trip and experience almost complete...

Sweet Chinese potato

This seems like a popular snack on the street in China; as I have found many vendors making a living out of it on their carts located at the sidewalk.

Personally I find nothing fascinating about a steamed potato, but I think many disagree with me; especially if you are a die-hard potato fan.
Also, another reason is probably due to the cold weather and while I am rubbing my hands hard to keep them warm, some would prefer to have a RMB2-3 worth of steaming hot sweet Chinese potato in their hands to do the job.

The outer skin is slightly purplish; but when the skin is comes off in the peeling, it reveals a rather golden orange-like color mash of potato.


It was still steaming hot when bought off the cart; perhaps the main reason that attracted hordes of ravenous buyers to it in the first place.


It is no wonder that this a favorite considering the fact that it was a staple back in the days of farming and also war times when this was the only main source of carbohydrate.
I remember my mother telling me of the story on how the poor and even themselves, surviving on rice and sweet potatoes during the hard times. The potatoes were cheap back then, not to mention filling and they were in abundance.
It was easily grown and some, while on a refugee run would even be able to dig up a sweet potato from the ground; which shows how easily accessible it is.

I know of people who still love this as a snack until this day; as a reminiscence of their past and also the fact that this helped them to survive to the day.
This was probably the key to this sweet, carb-loaded yet healthy vegetable landing its place in the hearts of many; and it is something that maybe not many of us from the current generation could relate to.

Have you a history/story with the sweet potato or potatoes in general?
Do you have a love/hate relationship with this vegetable or food staple?

My Travel Food Diary: Historical sweet Jiangnan snacks

I have shared the full story of these cakes in my travel blog, but I just wanted to share the photos of these enchanting cakes here; found on the nostalgic streets of Shantang

The Plum Blossom Cake


Hai Tang Cake


Read the history of these cakes here

Check out some of the beautiful scenes from my trip here:
Shantang Streets
Ping Jiang Street


Now tell me you are fascinated by them :)

My Travel Food Diary: Snack Candies from Hangzhou

I am not sure how many of you there like peanuts, or candies, but I am sure the number is just screaming back at me that you are definitely a fan of either or Both (majority).

That is why, this Peanut Candy snack we found on our trip, which combines the best of both worlds is bound to make lovers of peanut, candy and anything sweet, jump in ecstasy.

The Chinese are known for their sweet tooth as well; or maybe a variety of exotic tastes in their food and it is evident in the many different snacks found on the streets, shops and even packaged food in convenience stores. Perhaps, it would be easier that the Chinese just love food, in general?

I am sure many have had encounter with candies like these, or if you have not and dying to know how this is like; well, it is definitely Sweet (obviously), and sticky where the hardened sugar binds the crunchy peanuts together.


Another variant found is the Sesame Candy, which is made of the same combination as well.


An interesting but not uncommon snack for locals and tourists alike, and not unique to only China as these can also be found in various places in South East Asia.

A word of caution for the dental savvy, these tend to stick to your teeth; especially the back of the mouth, which can be really annoying.

My Travel Food Diary: Cream Puffs from Walmart

After our dinner upon arrival, we went for a little grocery shopping and also to enjoy the family time together (Read about it here)

We went to Walmart, and hubby got his hands on these

Cream puffs; yeah, I just included this in the travel food diary as he did get it during our trip anyway.

I don't know about you, but any normal food/pastry seemed different when you are out there traveling, don't you agree?
Somehow, to me, the cream puffs here looked bigger and even more crispy than the ones we have back home (I wouldn't know, I am not a fan of cream puffs)


Real white whipped cream filling in the cream puff; and yes, their cream puffs are definitely larger than the ones we have here.

I think it's obvious from the diameter of the filling area, don't you think?