December 31, 2017

Sibu Tales : Home Made Beef Curry

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  • (Photo from Google)
It was not easy for many Foochow families to cook good beef curry. Firstly it was not easy to buy good beef. Secondly many Foochows don't eat beef also.
  • When roti canai first came to Sibu in the 1980's the Foochows found it very interesting but did not really go for it.
  • However my mother, as she likes food made from flour loved the roti canai and would often get my sisters to buy for her or go to the shops to enjoy some roti.
  • sometimes they would buy a few pieces home and my mother would cook curry.
  • A good recipe is the following (to make a good thick curry
  • 1.5 kg good beef - cut into cubes

December 30, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Steamed Torch Ginger and Salted Fish

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this is a special dish for those who love Dayak cuisine. The freshly salted fish when steamed becomes aromatic and the bones of the fish very chewable.

Dayak style salted fish is easy to make. Usually fresh river fish is used, be it big or small. The small river fish is tastier actually. The fish is cleaned and drained. Coarse salt is then mixed with the fish, a bit of squeezing and massaging is good at this stage. The fish will be allowed to remain in a covered basin for a day or so after which the salt will be scrapped off and the fish squeezed dry. The fish is then placed in a bottle or jar. Roasted rice grains are added to the salted fish. In a week the salted fish is ready. It can be deep fried, or steamed, or even shallow fried.

the special aroma of the dish will come from the chopped ginger, chillies, torch ginger flower, stalk of the torch ginger and garlic..

Arrange the chopped salted fish with the aromatics on top of it in a glass bowl, add a bit of water.

Steam over high heat for about half an hour.

this dish is good for the festive season. The pinks and reds of the chillies will make it rather Christmassy.

December 29, 2017

Sibu Tales : Steamed Savoury Layered Rice Cake

Growing up in Sibu gave me a lot of opportunities to see and observe my elders who lived in the shop houses and the riverine villages. Each of my older relatives were experts in their own fields and they were all hard working and humble folks. The younger generation of relatives who are highly educated leave home and go overseas as expected.



My older aunts were traditional folks. Some were even China-born. So I had many opportunities to eat different kinds of food.

As a result I have great love for traditional snacks like mi turn kui.

It is sad that sometimes you come across younger people who would even laugh at the old fashioned kuih. I personally believe that we must document traditional kuih for posterity.

There are not many people who can make Mi Turn Kui or steamed savoury layered rice cake. One of my aunts in Miri was particularly good at making it but she passed away not long ago. May God bless her soul.

Sibu Tales : Matches?

These are old fashion match boxes.
You might be surprised that some of the first matches in malaysia were made in Kelantan.

Was there a match making factory in Sarawak? What matches did we use in Sibu in those long ago days?



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Image result for Red Head matches and other colonial day match brandsImage result for box of matches MalaysiaImage result for box of matches Malaysia

Sibu Tales : A Piece of Land for a Sarong

There were so many tales about people selling their land for some very urgent matters in Sibu.

We heard stories of Malays who sold their extra tiny plots of land, far away from Sibu, to pay for their passage to Mecca, or their Haj. That was a very honorable and normal thing to do in those days. "Naik Haji" is a mandatory life obligation for a good Muslim. And in those days when a Haj was long and difficult, many would try their best to find means to perform it, unlike today, when the educated would save from as early as possible with the Tabung Haji.

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A sarong is a good thing to wear when you take a bath in the river in Sarawak

Then there were stories of Malay and other indigenous men who were quite happy to let go of their piece of padi land to a friend in order to buy a car or when they went on a transfer out of Sibu .

Those were old tales of the 40's and 50's when land was only about 200 dollars per acre. We also heard of a man who bought a small piece of land for 500 dollars from his Malay friend who wanted to give the money to his daughter for her wedding.

Now there was a man who was very afraid of his wife. And he had also a very bad gambling habit. One day he must have suffered from a lot of abuse from his wife and he promised to stop all his bad habits. His wife made him promise to get her a really good and authentic batik sarong and not drink or gamble any more.

In fact the scoundrel had been owing a lot of money, left and right, to every other gamblers and towkays, according to the local people. He had also been black listed by all his relatives.

Finally he got hold of one of his land titles given to him by his later father, from right under the nose of his wife, and went to a business man who was his gambling friend to settle all his debts and to obtain some cash. As the piece of land was valued at only a few hundred dollars, he had only enough money left to buy a sarong for his wife.

He never wasted his time nor gambled after that because his wife would always remind him whenever she wore the sarong...He lost a piece of land for a sarong.

December 28, 2017

Miri : Garlic Chives



My friends all love to plant flowers and some vegetables. One of them in Miri plants a lot of vegetables in particular. When her chives started to flower, she called all her friends to come and take photos.

Now that we all have handphones we can take as many photos as we like. What a nice hobby.

It has made us more appreciative of our food too.

Sarawakian Local Delights : Simpor Leaf- Wrapped Food


The simpor leaves are plentiful around our homes for the tree grows well every where.

It is also the national flower of Brunei.

From the ancient times, simpor leaves have been used to wrap different kinds of food, from rice to meat and fish. That was the time when people did not have plastic containers or glass jars. Food was always kept fresh and aromatic because the leaves protects the food from rotting. Besides the simpor leaves also give rice a special fragrance. These leaves keep the food warm over a certain period. In fact meat, fish or vegetables wrapped in simpor leaves can be put over fire for reheating.

In Sibu and other places, Chinese butchers used simpor leaves to wrap up pork for their customers.

Sarawakian Local Delights : Emplams

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A thick paste/chutney made from cooked emplam with spices, chillies and salt.

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These are Sarawak mangoes which are usually eaten when they are still unripe. Once they are too ripe, they are not so tasty. Emplams are a bit like buah kedundong, and are often used in the making of Rojak.



Emplams are mangoes which are found mainly in Sarawak. It is a fruit that won't grow too big. It has a big stone. It is best eaten when it is still unripe. Most of the time it is served as part of ulam or part of rojak. Shredded it can be cooked and prepared as a kind of chutney. It will be really nice eaten as a salad loaded with pounded dried shrimps, chillies and belacan.

Many years ago before the fruit was introduced at 5 Star hotels as part of their kerabu dishes, the emplam was considered poor man's lunch item alongside ikan bilis, salted fish and raw cucumber. Today the price of emplam has gone up and might even be unaffordable by some of the poorerst people in Sarawak!!

December 27, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights: Sup Paku Uban

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The shop cooking this lovely soup also served the usual Iban style smoke house barbequed meat. It was a family outfit. The mother Margaret was a good business woman.

We ordered some slices of barbequed meat and two good ikan keli.

As she also cooked vegetables, we were glad to have this sup paku uban and some cangkok manis stir fry.

The little corner shop was well patronised and soon it was all filled up.

The sun set quickly and darkness overwhelmed the place. We were glad that they had their own generators to provide the electricity.

As we ate Margaret came around and chatted with us. It was sad to know that she would soon have to close her outlet. But where she would go next she could not tell us. She was still looking for a good venue.

We have found her place very cosy and friendly. She and her family had done a good job and her cooking is excellent.

Sibu Tales : Making Marmalade

The American missionaries impacted the lives of many Methodists in Sibu. Interaction with them allowed many women to learn some culinary arts. Mrs. Edwin Temple, as a Girl Guide Captain , demonstrated the making of butter cakes, cookies to the Girl Guides. The new recipes were gladly welcomed by the starry eyed girls, some of whom had never tasted butter before.

GREEN AND SWEET: Bintangor oranges ferried across the river by a longboat.
Thin skinned Bintangor oranges/tangerines
One recipe passed on to many Sibu women was the making of marmalade. Many cannot remember which missionary actually taught the Society of Christian Women how to make marmalade from the green oranges which were plentiful in Sibu, Bintangor and Sarikei.

Interestingly many teachers continued the art of making marmalade in the Methodist School, Sibu.

The recipe called for 10 big lemons, 4 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar. The peels of the fruits must be cut into thin strips of 1/8th inch x 1 inch and all membranes or pith must be removed from the fruits. (or use 8 green Bintangor oranges and 2 big lemons)

Adjust if you like.

Ingredients:
10 large lemons 4 cups water 4 cups sugar
Preparation:
Using vegetable peeler, remove yellow part of peel in strips from lemons. Cut strips into 1-by 1/8-inch strips. With knife, cut off all white membrane, or pith, from peeled lemons.
Cut peeled lemons crosswise into 1/4- inch-thick slices. In heavy pot, combine lemon peel, sliced fruit, and water. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.
Heat lemon mixture to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lemon mixture is very soft, about 1 hour.
Add sugar to lemon mixture and increase heat to medium-high; stir until sugar dissolves. Heat to boiling and reduce heat just so mixture boils gently. Boil uncovered, stirring frequently, 45 to 60 minutes. 


This recipe makes four jars of marmalade.

December 26, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Banana hearts and chicken

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Banana hearts and chicken - a wonderful dish

When a bunch of bananas is ready to be harvested, the tree is chopped down too as each banana tree bears only one bunch of bananas in its life time. So it is very logical that if the heart of the plant can be eaten, it should be eaten. However, one must realise that it is a good vegetable.

It may be a bit of a mess to cut the harder layers of the stem away. Only the innermost layers are cooked.

You can use a banana leaf or two to layer the top of your working table top to do the cutting of the stem. the sticky part of the stem may stain table cloth, clothes and other textiles.

Once cut, the banana stems must be submerged in water and sprinkled with a bit of salt, or even a bit of lime juice to prevent rapid discolouration.

Most housewives would suggest blanching the stems first. It is adviseable to cut the stems  in half
inch sizes.

Prepare the chicken soup and then add the banana stems. Cook over a fairly strong fire until the stems are soft. It makes a very tasty and sweet dish.

It can also be cooked in a curry with chicken.


December 25, 2017

Christmas 1941, Sibu : Ling Kai Cheng

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Australian War Memorial Photo : Japanese War Planes dropping bombs in Sibu

"Christmas Day 1941 five Japanese War planes dropped five boms in Sibu. Luckily not much damage was done," wrote Ling Kai Cheng in his memoirs, "Looking Back 5 decades".

In the paick stricken town, the government godown was looted and every one tried to carry away rice, flour and sugar. There was no control at all. The rice godown was completely looted.

Two Bitish companies were also looted.

On the 27th the Resident McPherson and the Treasurer were the last to retreat. Many of the ritish officers had already left Sibu.

At the wharf, the Resident gave instruction to Datuk Mohammed, and assitant DO Abang Seraie and Rev Ling Kai Cheng telling them that the Datuk was in charge of Sibu and that Rev Ling should protect his Chinese people.

The little boat took the Resident and the DO upstream to Kapit.

The community leaders tried their best to keep the Sibu people calm and stopped the looting.

On the 29th, many Ibans arrived in Sibu in their longboats and wanted to loot the government rice godown but Rev Ling Kai Cheng, Datuk Mohammade and the Iban leaders, Gani and Andah managed to calm the Ibans, giving each boat a sack of rice, solving the crisis.

Rev Ling also wrote that the MV Rejang was berthed at the Government Wharf at that time.

Sarawak - Fig like fruits



Sarawak has an abundance of fruit trees. Although most of the fruits are edible some are strictly for birds and animals.

This particular fruit which looks like figs are for birds only.



December 24, 2017

Kuching : Remembering the Hawkers of Satok Market


The Satok Market was a kind of must visit venue for years in Kuching. It was a sprawling market place where people could find the best of bargains. To many it was a good place to make a living. Different races came together to provide colours and diverse traditions to this spot in Kuching. In fact for many it was a part of Kuching which "made Kuching". With the Satok Market many felt that a part of their life was gone.

And so the Satok Market was moved to Kubah Ria. And an era of "marketing" for many Kuching people was removed from the social history and map of the city.

These are some photos I took many years ago....

Christmas is a time for nostalgia, a time for memories to be taken out to shared.

Wonder if all these friendly and helpful vendors are still around and enjoying their business.



Sea Views : Changing Dreams

I used to sit on a dried and dead tree trunk and look into the South China sea...would a pirate ship come? Would a yacht sail gracefully into view?





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Would a handsome captain arrive on the Shores of Mukah/Miri/Buntal/Lutong?

Those were the romantic dreams of a very young girl..

now, 7 decades on......poooofffff pofffff, should not have wasted the time but some how the blue skies and the brown contrast still provide  room for dreams...

December 23, 2017

Sibu Tales : Old Government Quarters of Sarawak


In the 50's many Sibu people were envious of those who obtained jobs with the government. The civil service was respected and few people were qualified to join the government. Firstly in the 1950's English was an important qualification and not many could pass the Form Five English as a subject. Then in the 1970;s the Malaysian policies changed and Bahasa Malaysia became a qualification that all Civil Servants must have.

The older civil servants  soon retired and moved out of the government quarters which were by then rather run down. The old Chai Koo/Government servants became a dying breed.

The 1970's were transformational years. As time changed, people started to have different attitudes towards everything, be it material or spiritual.

By the `1980's the Malaysian government started to encourage Civil Servants to own their own houses, and the Age of Technology soon set in by the 1990's. People's lives changed dramatically.

Thus  the beautiful government quarters become derelict. Piece by piece, beam by beam, pole by pole, many of the abandoned houses were cannibalized. Some were even deliberately burnt down,and according to the news, by drug addicts. And the government land became sadly emptied of life.


By the 21st century, most people would look at the government quarters like they are abandon housing waiting for demoliton. Many Sarawakians would not know what they were for too. In a few years' time these wooden quarters would be completely obliterated from the social map of Sarawak.

December 22, 2017

Sibu Tales : Siblings visiting each other Ensurai



My third aunt, Pearl married into the Lau family and lived in the huge Lau Mansion in Ensurai, before the Second World War. My aunt's father in law was none other than the famous Foochow Headman, Lau Kah Tii, who was later to become my maternal grand uncle in 1948 when my father married my mother.

The wedding of Aunt Pearl and Lau Pang Kwong was sort of wedding of the decade because it was a huge church wedding well organized at the Masland Church and the banquet was sumptious and attended by hundreds of well wishers, friends and relatives. My maternal grandma later told us , " Every one up and down the river was invited."

My great grandfather was still alive and was very happy about the marriage which united two large and prominent families.

Just before the Second World War, my other aunts enjoyed visiting the big mansion from time to time. Ensurai was 2 hours by boat from Sibu and a visit would mean staying over night, or for a few days. There were so many rooms in the Lau Mansion that most of my aunts who were of school going age, and still boarding in Yuk Ing School, were really impressed.

One of the reasons why my grand uncle built the large mansion was because he wanted his house to provide accommodation for new migrants from Fujian to Sibu. Hence there were as many as 20 rooms in the mansion.

Aunt Pearl's husband, Uncle Pang Kwong who owned a camera, took many photos in those days. One of the photos taken was this one of my 4th Aunt visiting Aunt Pearl.  Uncle Pang Kwong also took many photos of my uncles visiting the family in Ensurai.

Visitors who stayed in the mansion were usually formally dressed as my grand uncle enjoyed having scholars coming to the house to give talks in those days. Firthermore, he engaged tutors to teach all his grand children. My grand uncle wore formal clothes because he sort of held office meetings daily with the local people, and listened to complaints and addressed social issues.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Lau Mansion gave refuge to many scholars and celebrities because grand uncle, Lau Kah Tii was a very generous and accommodating host. Being 2 hours from Sibu, few Japanese soldiers would come and bother the people of Ensurai without good reasons.

Aunt Maggie eventually in the photo was able to study nursing in Singapore and took nursing as her career in life. She was probably one of the first Sibu Foochow girls to be qualified in nursing.

Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...