'扁肉' Piăn Nǜ

扁肉 ( 福州读 piăn nǜ ) 是砂拉越 福州贯籍的食品。有卖干捞面的档子，多数都有卖扁肉。扁肉是以面粉皮包裹着剁啐的馅料，以水煮熟后，干捞、清汤皆可。

扁肉 过了大海就变成了云吞。红毛人叫它wonton。

Ongrizinal 白八珍

八珍，顾名思义，由八种珍贵药材配成。有获神，防党参，白芍，当归，熟地，炙甘草，枸杞子，川芎。

八珍乌黑黑、苦辛辛，又不好看、也不好喝。无奈大人们都爱煲来逼小孩喝。

其实，良药哪有不苦口的。不过，菜肴就不该难咽之理。

所以我就来个白八珍。挪掉黑黑的孰地、加入红枣，煲出白白甜甜的八珍。

大家不妨试试！ 

Medicinal : Swietenia macrophylla - Skyfruit

Swietenia macrophylla is commonly known as big-leaf-mahogany, Honduras mahogany etc.  The generic name commemorates Gerard von Swieten ( 1700-1772), a botanist and physician to Maria Theresa of Austria.  The specific name means large leaves from Greek words makros ‘large’, and phyllon ‘leaf’.

Its fruit is known as sky fruit, 向天果 (Mandarin), tunjuk langit (Malay). 

The fruit is a woody capsule, about 12.5 x 7.5 cm, erect, oblong.  The outer valves are thick and becoming woody when mature.  When dry the 5-valved fruits split open from the base.  The center of the fruit is a thick woody 5 angled columella extending to the apex from which the seeds hang pendulous by their wing. 

Fruiting occurs annually.

There are about 35-45 seeds per fruit.  Seeds are of  woody coloured at 7.5-12cm in length with wings.  Seeds disperse via wind, average dispersal distance of 32-36m, with maximum distance over 80m.

In its origin of South America, the seeds of Swietenia macrophylla are traditionally used  in treating hypertension, diabetes, malaria, typhoid, diarrheal, pain-killer, leishmaniasis and abortion.  The seeds are usually consumed raw by chewing, or by infusion.

The seeds are extremely bitter in taste, which is caused by swietenolide.

Extract of the seeds were found to contain many kinds of tetranortripenoids, fatty acids, terpenoids,  swietenine and its derivatives.

Researches show that extract of various parts of S. macrophylla to have anti-diarrhoeal, anti-gastric, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Swietenine, a tetranortriterpenoid, isolated from the Swietenia macrophylla seeds was found to have anti-diabetic effect on induced type II diabetic rats.

Methanol, dichloromethane and n-hexane were found to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant properties.

A lection isolated from the leaves was cytotoxic against Acanthamoeba sp and Tetrahymena pyriformis.

However, further investigations are needed to verify these findings.  Claims made by unregistered herbal practitioners, direct sales or hearsays are not to be taken seriously.

大街的包子摊 之 蒸笼

Steamer is a kitchen appliance used to cook food via steaming.

Traditional Chinese steamers ( 蒸笼 ) are normally made of bamboo or wood.
 Some material known for making traditional Chinese steamer :

柳杉 ( Cupressaceae : Cryptomeria fortunei ),

云杉 ( Pinaceae : Picea meyeri ),

毛竹 ( Poaceae : Phyllostachys heterocycla ),

桂竹 ( Poaceae : Phyllostachys bambusoides ).


Steamer is most widely used in cooking bao ( 包子）, a steamed variant of bread, with or without various fillings.


A smaller version of steamer is also used for cooking dimsum ( 点心 ), a Cantonese cuisine.


Lesser known uses include steaming of cakes, fishes, etc.  


However, due to its bulkiness, tedious handling & upkeep, and undurability, traditional steamers are rapidly replaced by new electrical steamer ( for homes ) and stainless steel steamer ( for restaurants ).

I spotted this vendor selling baos somewhere in Bukit Serdang, Seri Kembangan.  Straightaway  I pulled over and buy some baos from him.  His baos are slightly more expensive than others, and less yummy too.  I won’t patronize him anymore lo…

He did remind me about Grandma’s baos, though.   Back then, Grandma used to make baos, steamed them in traditional steamers, just like that.  And then we help her sell the baos around the Julau town. 
It was a long long time ago...

Baos now are not as delicious as Grandma’s.

Cari Makan @ Kg Kuala Kuang - 菜粿

Charguo 菜粿 ( pronounced càiguǒ in Mandarin hànyǔ pīnyīn ) is a traditional snack of Chinese Hakka.  It is made of chives ( 韭菜, Allium schoenoprasum ) and/or jicama ( 沙葛, Pachyrhizus erosus ) wrapped in glutinous flour skin.

Being a Hakka settlement, Kg Kuala Kuang is famous among the Kinta valley for its charguo.  The charguo is slightly bigger than KL’s.  The skin is pink in colour, and the filling taste totally different.     I find KL’s charguo suite my taste better.

My old friend A’Seng stays in Kampung Kuala Kuang ( 瓜拉光 ) near Chemor ( 朱毛, now珠宝) town.  Kampung Kuala Kuang  is a new village occupied by mainly Chinese of Hakka dialect.   Chemor was once ( 1980s ) the biggest tapioca producing town in the world.

Chemor is accessible  from Ipoh via NSE (E1), taking the Jelapang Exit, then turn right onto Jalan Chemor (A1) and drive for about 5km towards Chemor town.  Look out for a huge entrance at right hand side.  Charguo are just minutes away from the village entrance.   The stall is opposite the morning market.    It is Google Map, and most probably in your GPS as well.  Otherwise, follow your instinct &/@ your nose.   

Stir-fried Miding

I plant my own miding plant.  Yes, you hear me right !  I plant my own Stenochlaena palustris.  

It is a small plot, thus the harvest is not much.  Enough only for a small plate, hardly enough for 1 person.

The wild-veg is hard to come across in markets of Peninsular Malaysia, although they grow wild abundantly.

In Sarawak, miding is normally stir-fried with belacan ( prawn paste ) or dried anchovies.  Local Chinese prefers to stir it with ginger and rice wine.