Thursday, September 01, 2011

Finale: Heritage Food Trail

When I was young, my granny used to make a dessert using 鸡屎滕 (pronounced in Cantonese). Actually I don't know why the plant is called such. It is nothing related to being smelly or poo at all. In fact, this plant or herb gives off a very fragrant smell when you give it a rub.

When I was staying in Seletar, I found a creeper giving off a similar smell but my aunt told me that it is not the same plant. I was of course disappointed.

During this Lunar New Year reunion, chit chatting with my aunties and uncles, this dessert was brought up again during the conversation. Boy, seems like all of us misses this dessert. I told my seniors I actually found someone selling this in Toa Payoh. Since it only sell this particular dessert on Satursday and Sunday, I didn't make my way there to get it. Don't ask me why I waited.

So last weekend, I finally get myself out of bed early and when in search. When the lady brings it out to pack, I knew, straightaway, I got it wrong. The plant is correct but the method of making is not the same. For my granny's dessert is greenish in colour and paste like, just like sesame seed paste. Whereas this lady's version is noodle like with ginger and sugar broth. I tasted nothing from what I can remembered.

Now you can guess how disappointed I am. Anyway, the old lady told me that this plant is no longer found in Singapore (yes, blame it on urbanisation). She got her source from Malaysia and it is expensive.

There are so many wonderful dishes being lost. With the global development, somehow what we used to do, eat or play got lost in transit. That is why I started playing this food heritage idea in my head.

I wasn't sure whether I will get warm responses from my fellow bloggers but yet I was keen to find out what other culture/dialect has to offer.

Just like 稀叶 used in a Hakka kueh. (I hope I got the word right) This leaves are no longer sold in Singapore as well. Such a pity isn’t it? Using this leaves gives a natural black hue to the kueh.

Enough said, now let me present to you what my fellow bloggers churned out from their kitchen. Do hop over to the respective blog and read how much this dish meant to them.

Let’s hope we continue in search of all those heritage dishes that our mom or granny had cooked for us and we, in return can teach our kids.

I really appreciate your time and effort in making this event a success.

A very BIG thank you to all that participated.


Roz / Malay
Blog : HomeKreation - Kitchen Corner
Name of the dish/dessert: Kuih Limas aka Tepung Pelita


Edith/Spouse Teochew
Blog : pReCiouS MoMentS
Name of the dish/dessert: Chwee Kueh


Alan/Hokkien
Blog : Travelling Foodies
Name of the dish/dessert: “Zok Bee Png” - 油香糯米饭


Wai Fong/Cantonese
Blog Name: Fong's Kitchen Journal
Name of the dish/dessert: Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish



Alan/Hokkien
Blog : Travelling Foodies
Name of the dish/dessert: 焢肉包 (Braised Pork Belly with bun)

Jane/Hokkien
Blog Name: Passionate About Baking
Name of the dish/dessert : Hokkien Alkaline Rice Cake


Shirley/ Hainanese
Blog Name: Kokken69
Name of the dish/dessert : Chicken Pau


Wendy/Cantonese
Blog Name: Table for 2 or more
Name of the dish/dessert : Puppy Duck 狗仔鸭


Ah Tze/ Hokkien
Blog name: Awayofmind
Name of the dish: Penang Hokkien Mee


Quay Po/Cantonese
Blog Name: Quay Po Cooks
Name of the dish/dessert : Ipoh claypot chicken rice


Lena/ Teochew
Blog name: Frozen wings
Name of dish: Bok Choy Soup and Braised Pig's Cheek



Wai Fong/Cantonese
Blog Name: Fong's Kitchen Journal
Name of the dish/dessert: Marrow Green with Vermicelli (大姨妈嫁女）



Wendyywy/Guangxi
Blog Name: Table for 2..... or More
Name of the dish/dessert : Kwong Sai (Guangxi) Stuffed Tofu 广西酿豆腐



Joyce/Nonya
Blog Name : kitchen flavours
Name of Dish : Nyonya Stir-Fried Long Beans with Shrimp Paste



Sharon Chieng/ Foochow
Blog Name: Feats of Feats
Name of the dish/dessert : Ang Chiu Mee Suah


Ann/Cantonese
Blog Name: Anncoo Journal
Name of the dish/dessert: Red Bean Soup 红豆水


Sharon Chieng/ Foochow
Blog Name: Feats of Feasts
Name of the dish/dessert : Stir-Fried Ginger Venison



Agnes / Hakka
Blog Name: Agnes Bakes
Name of dish: Hakka Abacus Beads (客家算盘子）



Wai Fong/Cantonese
Blog Name: Fong's Kitchen Journal
Name of the dish/dessert: Arrowroot Soup


Wai Fong/Cantonese
Blog Name: Fong's Kitchen Journal
Name of the dish/dessert: Braised Pork Trotters with arrowroot and red bean curd paste


Wendy Han/Hokkien
Blog Name: Wen’s Delight
Name of the dish: Fried Beehoon with Canned Stewed Pork Chops



Adeline/Hokkien
Blog Name: Lite Home Bake
Name of the dish/dessert : Steamed Glutinous Rice ~ Hokkien Style


Tina/Hokkien Peranakan
Blog Name: Tina's Kitchen
Name of the dish/dessert : Apom Bokwa



HBS/Hokkien
Blog Name: HoneyBeeSweets
Name of the dish submitting: Hokkien Festive Glutinous Rice



Edith/Cantonese
Blog : pReCiouS MoMentS
Name of the dish/dessert: Ginseng Chicken Soup
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Posted by Edith at 8:13 AM

18 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    thanks for organising, Edith. Definitely sparkled quite a bit of nostalgia there. I hope you'll branch off to organise and collate other interesting themes, perhaps more savory ones?

    ReplyDelete
  2. WenSeptember 1, 2011 at 12:22 PM

    This is so interesting and meaningful! Thanks for organising!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Small Small BakerSeptember 1, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    This is really very meaningful event. I'm Heng Hwa and too bad, I can't cook well and my parents also did not learn the traditional dishes. But enjoy every dish posted here. I'm keeping it for future reference. Thanks for organizing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. kitchen flavoursSeptember 1, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    Wow, everything looks delicious and really interesting to learn from each other! Thanks for hosting, Edith!

    ReplyDelete
  5. EdithSeptember 1, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    You are welcome travellingfoodies. With all your contribution, this event won't be successful. We can roll some ideas together and see what we can do next.

    Thanks Wen for your participation.

    Small Small Baker, it is a pity that something is lost from our heritage. Like my grandma's really good peanut dumpling and poached chicken. All are lost coz no one really take heart to learn.

    kitchen flavours, I am glad that you find this interesting. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Quay Po CooksSeptember 1, 2011 at 9:25 PM

    I am going to take time to go through each and every dish. They all look fabulous! Many thanks for hosting Edith!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2011 at 10:23 PM

    Thanks Edith, this is really a fabulous idea! Thanks all for participating in this event, so we can get to learn from each other.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awayofmind Bakery HouseSeptember 2, 2011 at 12:13 AM

    So many interesting food! Thanks for hosting Edith!

    ReplyDelete
  9. 颜姨September 4, 2011 at 1:34 AM

    This is the 1st time I read about someone writing about 鸡屎滕. I Never know how it is called in Cantonese or English. But I had found memory of my grandma using this herbs and mesh them up and add it into glutinous rice flour as pan fried batter. she'll then pan fried them till very crispy but chewy inside. I can still recall the unique smell fm this herbs. sometime when I see crawlies that look like it, I'll pluck one then rub and smell to see if my luck stuck and find one. Thanks for taking time to call out to all bloggers to post about our heritage food. I miss posting my grandma's dumpling this round and hope to catch it the next round!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Passionate About BakingSeptember 5, 2011 at 9:16 AM

    Thanks for initiating this, Edith. It's really interesting to find out more about other dialects and their specialties. Thanks for the consolidation too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. WendyinKK September 5, 2011 at 1:29 PM

    Oh, I missed this post earlier on.
    Thanks for organizing and it'll be great if you can include the Chinese name for the puppy duck dish. 狗仔鸭 as that is the proper name for the dish.

    ReplyDelete
  12. EdithSeptember 5, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    Quay Po Cooks, thanks for participating.

    Fong's Kitchen Journal, I hope you had fun.

    Ah Tze, yes indeed and I enjoyed the stories as well.

    Shira's Choice, I love the fragrant of this herb. Unfortunately I doubt I can ever see it being replicated. Such a pity isn't it?

    Passionate About Baking, I don't know whether I really will initiate another round but will be interesting to see the responses.

    wendyywy @ Table for 2, amended

    ReplyDelete
  13. 颜姨September 6, 2011 at 1:12 AM

    Edith,

    I'll not quit looking for it, will try Malaysia & HK and if I find it, I'll surely keep some for you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. EdithSeptember 6, 2011 at 7:18 AM

    Tks shira.

    ReplyDelete
  15. lenaSeptember 6, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    almost missed this post! i have seen a few of them in some blogs, i shall go and look at the rest of the others later on, thank you edith!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. PrisNovember 2, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Hi Edith

    Whenever my neighbuour's mum visits quite regularly from Kluang, we would cut 鸡屎滕 along the Pang Sua Connector behind our estate & make this kueh together. I had upload the photo album in my facebook on 24 Aug 10. She shld be here again soon, you interested to join us in making?

    ReplyDelete
  17. EdithNovember 4, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    You are welcome Lena.

    Pris, are you located in Singapore now? I would love to see how your mom prepare this. Buzz me!

    ReplyDelete
  18. food solutionsDecember 19, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    Good going,keep it up. Good article,I like it really interesting.Give more information of this topic. Included more things in future in this blog. ration MREs meals ready-to-eat

    ReplyDelete

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