Childhood Tidbits by edibee

 

Asam Jawa

Asam Jawa ( Tamarind )  is the Tamarindus indica.  Despite its name, it was not originated from Jawa or India.  It is a leguminous tree indigenous to the tropical Africa.  It reached South Asia most likely prior to the Common Era.  Today, it is widely distributed throughout Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, Southern China,  Northern Australia and even Central America.

In South East Asia, it has became an important ingredient in Malay and Indian cuisine.

The acidic pulp of ripe fruit is used in cooking various type of curry ( kari ), most fish dishes ( ikan masak asam, ikan masam manis, ikan masam pedas ),  etc.  It is said that Asam Jawa is capable to reduce the fishy smell of fish.  The pulps are easily found in hypermarkets, supermarkets or wet markets, usually sold in packages with or without the seeds.

The sweet variety is eaten fresh, or made into juice.   Fresh Asam Jawa can be easily found in markets and roadside stalls in Terengganu, Kelantan and Thailand.

As a child, we had candied Asam Jawa as snack.  The pulp was coated in fine sugar and wrapped individually in transparent plastic sheets.  It has been a while since I see the snack being sold in stalls or grocery stores.  

According to my colleague of Indian descendent, as a child he learned to count with the aid of the seeds of Asam Jawa ( In Tamil, it is called puli ).

  

MILO + Cracker

MILO + cream cracker is a mash up, instant, snack of my all time favourite.  It is convenience, easy to prepare, fast, economic and most important of all, fill my empty stomach !    I can have it between meals, midnight supper, for breakfast, lazy-to-cook-day, … while watching tv, reading… etc

Akin to American counterpart of cookie-milk, I believe this combination of snack is a specialty of S.E.Asian Chinese. 

It is a cup of MILO, and a few crackers.  Crackers are soaked momentary in hot MILO – not too long so that the crackers still have its crunchy bite – then scoop out with a table spoon.   It may look messy and distasteful for some, as the crackers looks somewhat awful when if softened.

I remember spreading sweetened milk or kaya on the cracker before soaking them into the MILO.   Hmmm....too sweet even for myself. 

Thinking of it, the cracker can be replaced with any type of cookies… be it butter cookie, Oreo, etc.  Just soak it, scoop it !

A more ‘civilized’  way is to dip-only the crackers in the MILO, and lift it up and bite it.    But, if the MILO is half full, then it might be inconvenience to dip the cracker.   A gentleman way it is, but not so effective, I think.  ( 歹势吃自己 / segan makan, perut lapar ! )