The Star : How to Order Malaysian Coffee

The Star : The Bread of Bengal - No It's Not

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

BY INTAN AMALINA MOHD ALI

THERE are three secrets to Benggali bread, better known as Roti Benggali.

First, pay close attention the next time you dunk your slice of the bread into your coffee, curry, mutton soup, half-boiled eggs or anything else.

After that necessary wait of a second or two for the bread to absorb the liquid, observe how your slice holds firm.

Repeat the experiment with most other kinds of bread and they will probably break apart soggily.

This is why.

Kicker: S. Mohamed Ismail, who set up Ismailia Bakery on Transfer Road, Penang

Many authentic recipes for the bread say that when the dough has risen to twice its volume after yeast is added, you have to pound it to squeeze out some of the carbon dioxide bubbles. This makes the dough dense again and it is why the bread is fluffy and yet stays firm enough after being dipped into gravy.

How much pounding to exert to make it fluffy yet dense is a trade secret, though.

The second secret is its name. Benggali bread does not come from Bengal. In fact, it has nothing to do with Bengal. It comes from Penang.

S. Mohamed Ismail, an Indian Muslim from Madras, India, started a bakery in George Town in 1928 to make this bread.

He was said to have formed a joint venture with his friends to start it up. He called it “panggali” bread.

In Tamil, “panggali” means shareholder or kin.

Over time, people forgot that it was “panggali” bread.

Somewhere along the market penetration process, the vibrant and multiracial fabric of pre-Independence society in Penang fell in love with this bread and they decided to make life easier for everyone by simply calling it Benggali bread.

Here is the final secret.

Mohamed Ismail’s wife was S.M. Shaharom Bee, the youngest sister of S.M. Zainul Abidin (1898-1969), who founded Umno with a few friends in 1946 when he was 48 years old. He became the party’s permanent chairman in 1948.

Zainul Abidin taught for 20 years at Penang Free School before becoming the headmaster of Francis Light School. He taught Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and former Penang Chief Minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu too.

He was a teacher, scoutmaster, headmaster, politician and writer.

He became Penang’s Southwest Member of Parliament (Balik Pulau today) in 1955 in the first Malayan Parliament elections after the Tunku invited him to contest.

The Tunku offered him the post of Education Minister, but he declined because it was said he did not want to leave Penang.

Being brother-in-law to the owner of one of the most popular bakeries in town must have been good in one way or another. Zainul Abidin was already 30 when Benggali bread first hit the streets of Penang, but all trace of this connection seems to have gone missing.

Could loaves of freshly baked Benggali bread with mutton curry been the regular fare in those long-ago Umno meetings during the struggle for Independence?

This bread is still baked in that same colonial shop house in Transfer Road. Many parts of the original architecture are still evident inside despite the commercial ovens and stainless steel racks.

The bread recipe remains largely intact, but the blood ties of Mohamed Ismail to Benggali bread is long gone.

The company name went from being British Malaya Bakery to Malaya Bakery to Ismalia Bakery before it closed down for nearly 10 years.

In 2007, a new group of bakers reopened the same premises with the name Maliia Bakery.

Its chief executive officer M. Kumaresan Mariadas said that since the takeover almost a decade ago, the current management has introduced a variety of Benggali bread but their customers would always opt for the original version.

“Between 2012 to 2013, we introduced wholemeal, chocolate and charcoal Benggali bread but the classic white one is still the most popular.

“Customers occasionally try the other flavours but they always go back to the classic,” he added.

He said that outside of Penang, the company distributes to Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

Benggali bread was sold on bicycles and carts in the old days, but Maliia Bakery now has a fleet of 20 food trucks and numerous vendors on motorcycles throughout Malaysia.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/08/31/the-bread-of-bengal-no-its-not/

The Star : The Birthplace of White Coffee

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

BY IVAN LOH

THERE is nothing quite as relaxing as sitting in a kopitiam in laid-back Ipoh, drinking the city’s famous white coffee and thinking of old times.

Sin Yoon Loong Coffee Shop at Jalan Bandar Timah would be the place to do that. It is now 79 years old and still going strong. It’s also the place where white coffee was born.

Since opening its doors in 1937, the coffeeshop has been a popular eatery as the place is packed to the brim daily with locals and tourists during the weekends.

Sin Yoon Loong was opened by Wong Poh Chew and his brother Poh Ting, who had wanted nothing more than to serve the best cuppa in town.

Both went through many trials and errors before they managed to create the perfect white coffee recipe, which is now a household name throughout the country.

Aside from the white coffee, the shop is also famed for its Chinese-style steamed sponge cakes and other local Chinese fare.

Sin Yoon Loong is now manned by 59-year-old K.M. Wong, a third-­generation member of the Wong clan, who said business was better now than when it first started.

“When the shop first opened in 1937, I was told by my parents that it was not so popular. It was just another kopitiam with the usual crowd and regular faces,” he said.

“Since the whole white coffee fad broke out all over town some three decades ago, everyone has been trying to look for the best white coffee in town.”

K.M. said he had good memories of the coffeeshop from his childhood days as it was located in a “happening” area.

“This area used to have a good nightlife scene. There were lots of things to eat with all the roadside stalls and we were also operating at night. It was quite happening back then.

“The local city council then stopped the roadside stalls from operating due to cleanliness issues and the area became quiet, which affected our business,” he said.

“Since then, we have only operated during the day.”

K.M. noted modestly that business at the coffeeshop was okay.

“The economy is still very slow. Business is all right and certainly better than the earlier days when it started,” he said.

Having been born in 1957, the same year the country became independent, K.M. said he had no idea what really occurred then as he was still a baby.

“My parents spoke little about life after our independence. I guess everything was just normal. They also did not talk about the war or the Japanese Occupation.

“All I can remember is going home after school to drop our schoolbags before running to the Ipoh Padang to play football with my friends, including the Malay, Tamil and Punjabi kids,” he said.

“We even shared our money to buy a football whenever we broke one. There was no such thing as racism then, unlike now.”

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/08/31/the-birthplace-of-white-coffee/

The Star : The Man Who Put Teh in Bak Kut Teh

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

BY WANI MUTHIAH

VISIT any well-known bak kut teh outlet in Klang, and it’s likely to be run by a Lee.

This is because a man named Lee Boon Teh brought bak kut teh to Klang from Fujian, China in the 40s.

He had seven sons who had branched out to set up their own businesses, some of which are now being run by third generation Lees.

Lee set up his bak kut teh stall at an intersection between the Klang train station and the Klang South police station in 1945 to serve the early Chinese immigrants, many of whom had also come from Fujian.

The stall was moved into a nearby shop named Kedai Makanan Teck Teh about 50 years ago and is currently operated by one of his grandsons who has stayed true to the original recipe.

“I have not changed anything and have kept to the same spices and methods of cooking used by my grandfather,’’ said the reserved man, who wanted to be known as only Lee.

The original shop where bak kut teh started, called Kedai Makanan Teck Teh at Jalan Stesen 1, Klang. The old signboard over the entrance is still there.

The old signboard over the entrance is still there.

The shop is dilapidated and run down but it gets a steady flow of regular patrons from early morning until closing time at about 2pm.

Lee, who runs the business alone, said he is not keen on publicity because he worries he would not be able to manage if there were many new customers to his shop.

“My children are all graduates and not involved in the business. They have their own careers,’’ said the 58-year-old.

Although the dish, traditionally comprising various cuts of pork, slowly simmered in fragrant Chinese herbs, has been modified in many ways all over the nation as well as in Singapore over the years, it is only in Klang that you can get the real deal.

At Kedai Makanan Teck Teh, chunks of meat in herbal broth are served in porcelain bowls with a helping of plain white rice just as the founder had served the hardworking Chinese immigrants who came to build new lives in the then Malaya decades ago.

Bak kut teh enthusiast Lee Kew Peng whose family is also in the business, said when the dish was first brought to Klang from China, it was known merely as bak kut (pork bone).

“Since it was brought in by Lee Boon Teh, it was known as bak kut teh, meaning it was his dish.

“Over time, the Teh became part of the dish’s name,” said Kew Peng.

Kedai Makanan Teck Teh is located at Jalan Stesen 1, Klang.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/08/31/the-man-who-put-teh-in-bak-kut-teh/

The Star : Alternative Treatments for Dengue Fever

Sunday April 13, 2014

BY TAN SHIOW CHIN

DENGUE fever is a problem that just does not seem to want to go away in Malaysia. And even worse, it seems to be escalating.

The latest report from the Health Ministry states that as of March 22, both the number of cases and deaths nationwide for the year have increased by 314% compared to the same period last year.

The number of dengue cases in the latest report totalled 23,633, while the number of deaths was 58.

The problem is not just limited to Malaysia, although we are considered an endemic dengue hotspot.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates there may be 50-100 million dengue infections globally every year, with two-fifths of the world population, or 2.5 billion people, at risk of this mosquito-borne infectious disease.

While being infected with dengue is an unpleasant experience – it is also known as breakbone fever – with typical symptoms being fever, headache, rashes, and muscle and joint pains, a healthy person’s immune system usually has no problems fighting the virus off.

The problem comes when dengue haemorrhagic fever develops.

This extreme form of the illness causes severe bleeding due to “leaky” blood vessels and delay in blood-clotting caused by low levels of platelets, which are essential in forming blood clots.

According to the WHO, an average of about 2.5% of those who develop dengue haemorrhagic fever die.

This number can exceed 20% in cases with no proper treatment, while the risk of death in those who receive the proper supportive treatment is less than 1%.

There is no cure for dengue, nor is there any vaccine for it, although there are several research teams currently working on one.

The main method of controlling this disease is via prevention; for example, ensuring that there is no stagnant water or any container where water can pool in around, fogging, using mosquito nets and repellent, and covering up or staying indoors at dawn and dusk when the Aedes mosquitoes are most active.

Medical management of dengue is purely supportive, with maintenance of the body’s fluid balance being the key objective, whether via oral rehydration therapy, intravenous fluid replacement, or in the worst-case scenario, blood transfusion.

With no definitive treatment from modern medicine available, it is not surprising that many have turned to alternative therapies for relief.

Papaya leaf juice

This is probably the most well-known alternative treatment for dengue.

Several small scientific studies have been carried out in dengue-endemic countries like India and Malaysia, looking into the efficacy of this herbal remedy.

While the results cannot be said to be definitive, due to their small study size, they are certainly promising.

The main effect of this juice lies in raising the level of platelets in dengue patients – a critical aspect of this viral infection.

One study, conducted by the Institute for Medical Research and Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang, Selangor, reported that patients given papaya leaf juice showed a significant rise in their platelet levels 40 hours after first receiving the juice, compared to patients in the control group who were only on standard supportive therapy.

The open-label randomised controlled trial, published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine last year, had a total of 228 participants recruited from the hospital’s dengue ward, divided almost equally between the control group and the juice group.

The patients in the juice group took the pure fresh juice extracted from 50gm of clean papaya leaves of the sekaki variety once daily for three consecutive days.

Pharmacist and holistic medicine practitioner Datuk Dr Rajen M adds that a blend of raw young papaya and papaya leaves made into a juice, taken two to three times a day, is one of the alternative therapies for dengue in Ayurvedic medicine.

He notes that consuming papaya in general is safe, and taking it does not contradict medical advice.

Tawa-tawa

This hairy herb is commonly used in the Philippines as an alternative treatment for dengue fever.

Also known as gatas-gatas or by its scientific name Euphorbia hirta, it is said to increase the platelet levels in dengue patients.

A 2012 animal study conducted by pharmacy students from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, showed that a decoction of tawa-tawa did indeed increase platelet levels and decrease bleeding time in rats with induced thrombocytopenia (i.e. an abnormally low platelet level).

The Philippine’s Department of Science and Technology is currently researching the effect of this plant on dengue fever, and have stated their concern over possible toxicity resulting from overdosing on tawa-tawa.

Meanwhile, Philippine Star columnist Dr Willie T Ong said in a 2009 article that Filipino doctors in general allow dengue patients to take tawa-tawa as long as they clear it with them first.

He also explained how to prepare the herb: “Take five whole tawa-tawa plants. Cut off the roots, then wash and clean.

“Boil tawa-tawa in a pot of clean water. Pour the liquid and then let cool. Sip one glass three to four times a day.”

Traditional Chinese medicine

Inti International University Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine director and head of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) programme Dr Yong Kian Fui says that there is no cure for dengue fever in TCM either, and treatment is usually supportive based on the stage of the disease.

The acupuncturist and Chinese physician notes that because of the vague symptoms of dengue fever, most people are only diagnosed with the disease about four days after their fever starts.

TCM therapy at that stage consists of a herbal concoction based on the formulation called qin wen bai tu san.

“This helps to clear the plaque and detox the body,” he says.

Patients have to take one dose daily for three days. If their platelet levels are still low by the end of that period, Dr Yong says they would be referred to the hospital for further management.

He adds that he personally also prescribes a bitter gourd and meat soup, which should be double-boiled for two hours.

While the meat can be from any animal, including fish, it is crucial that the seeds in the bitter gourd must be included in the soup.

“According to TCM theory, bitter gourd is used to clear ‘fire’ and to detox the body.

“The meat neutralises the bitter gourd, so that it doesn’t become too ‘cooling’.”

Ayuverdic medicine

Dr Rajen explains that there are four ways to treat dengue patients according to Ayuverdic medicine.

Two methods are targeted at boosting the patient’s blood production and providing an antiviral effect: the papaya fruit and leaf juice mix mentioned earlier, and juice made from pegaga leaves, also known as India pennywort or Centella asiatica.

According to Dr Rajen, one dose of the pegaga juice is the amount obtained from juicing one handful of leaves.

The other two treatments are mainly applied for their general antiviral properties.

One is cow or goat colostrum, which can be drunk as often as desired. Colostrum is the first secretion from the animal’s mammary glands before the milk comes out.

The other is turmeric, which can be added to the patient’s food or milk.