Watching The River Flow

I'm sorry I've just been sitting there watching the river flow.

Your response to my request for pape has been tremendous and I apologise for the silence as I have so enjoyed listening in to you people chatting to each other that I felt there was no need for my intervention. Please keep your chats coming in. About Kerepok Görèng Pasir (thank you Anonymous and Cik Qaleh Teksi), yes I do know about kerepok 'fried' in sand. I think we did try that a few times at home, and without the oil the kerepok did taste different. Mother used to say that sand from the pata (beach) was best for this purpose, but after seeing what they did on the pata, using their sarongs as burqas, I began to doubt that.

Sdri Norziah, thank you for responding to Sdri Nadiah's request. I think you are more qualified than I to give out recipes for such a complicated thing as Rökök Arab. I've never rolled a Rökök Arab in my life, nor made Bèkang, and even the simplest things I find quite hard to do, like wrapping Pulok Lepa.

And what an array of characters: Mök Lèbör, GUiKP's wife's grandma, Cikgu Ja'apö, Mr Isaacs, Nik Smara and a host of Möks that made our little town twirl, Mök Long, Mök Mèk and Mök Pèr.

Cucu Pök Löh Standok is right of course about Kerepok Kulit, the rolled kerepok made from the discarded skins of fish. That was special but only available to those who lived near the kerepok makers. We were lucky to have been the neighbours of Mök Nab and Mök Song, both kerepok makers, so we did know what it tasted like, but I do have my suspicions about Cucu Pök Löh's waxing lyrical ("Khepok kulik buatang Semek Dara Ttanjung") about his fish skin kerepok as the very name of its maker does suggest that there was more than his taste buds at work there.

All this talk about kuihs surely has paid off, for not only has it brought so many of you here to share your foodie talks and recipes, but it has also brought from afar Sdri Ninotaziz, a talented writer, blogger, folklorist and a poet too. I have quite forgotten what Badak Berendam looks like, perhaps you have a photo? And thank you for giving that Trengganuspeak-in-verse a home, am so honoured too.

But I must say a word about Rökök Arab before I go. That's eggs, ghee and a host of other good stuff all rolled into a cigar and so special it was that we got ours from the vicinity of the Istana Maziah, made by the hands of Mök Nöh who lived in Dalam Kota. As Anonymous (Sdri Norziah?) rightly points out, Rökök Arab isn't Apék-Apék, the latter being just thin crispy crackers that sometimes - if flat - concealed picture cards (as Mr Van N'dot found in Dalam Bata) and - if rolled - were used as straws for drinking hot Milo.

So thank you all: Ajidol, Aliff, Che Qaleh Teksi, Cucu Pok Loh Standok, GUiKP, Mmekkolang, Nadiah, Norziah, Zulomar (for the Berönök) and the various Anonymous contributors. To Semek Dara of Tanjong, a special thanks for having lit up the early life of Cucu Pök Löh. And thank you too all you good people who commented earlier (for names please see Comments below).

Please keep the conversation going, and your recipes coming in.

If you're a newcomer, please read these too:
A Bèkang From Kölang
Your Recipes Please!"

A Bèkang From Kölang

It isn't exactly a flood, but I've received some good recipes and some intriguing ones in answer to my call for the dishes of old Trengganu. Thank you, thank you everyone! Please look up your old notes, recipe books, and those old Trengganu Bus Company tickets where you scribbled as you spoke to Mök Chöh about those ingredients for that cake.

Meanwhile, here's a note from Ajidol, formerly of Kölang:

"Ambe nok kkècèk mengenai 'pape' sikit . Teganung kite memang besohor dgn 'pape2 tradisional nye. Tapi, pape yg selalu orang böwök ketike ggi nawak orang sakit ialah 'bèkang' . Ade dua jenis bèkang ... 'bèkang kuwöh lemak' dan 'bèkang kuwöh manis' . Bahan2 ramuan asas utk buat bèkang tu mudöh didapati di kedai2 runcit biase. Di UK nung pun ade belambök! Iaitu, telör,tepong gandum/beras, gule mèröh/nnisang. Tu jer ! Care2 nök buwat bèkang tu .... ai, kite dök tau pulök ..ning dèmè kkene tanye blogger2 ppuang kite laa .

Ning kite ada selit gambö 'bèkang kuwöh manis' . Mitök maaf laa kerana kelihatan 'beluah' dgn kuwöh tu ."

"I want to talk a bit about our cakes. Trengganu is indeed famous for its traditional cakes. But the one that people often take with them when visiting the sick is 'bèkang'. There are two types of 'bèkang'...'bèkang kuwöh lemak' (bèkang with the creamy sauce) and 'bèkang kuwöh manis' (bèkang with the sweet-sauce). The basic ingredients for this 'bèkang' are easily obtainable from your ordinary grocer's shop. They are plentiful even in the UK! They are eggs, wheat/rice flour, brown/coconut sugar. That's all! As to how bèkang' is prepared...well, I don't know. For this you'll have to ask our lady bloggers.

I attach herewith a photo of bèkang with the sweet sauce ('bèkang kuwöh manis'). I'm sorry it looks a mess sitting in the sauce."

Thank you Ajidol.