August 3, 2011

Ice Blocks and Cold Desserts in Marudi

My great grandfather and grandfather ran the Hua Hong ice factory in Pulau Kerto in Sibu . They were instrumental in helping many fishermen with their catch. I lived in one of the Ice Factory quarters until I was six.

The first Sibu ice factory was started by Rev James Hoover who brought in American ice making technology.

So I do remember how the iceblocks were made and sold to the boats which were tied up at the jetty or Doh Tau.


Today many coffee shops still make their own ice blocks in the same way. However edible ice (Atlas and Borneo Edible) are newer companies with better technology. People are lucky nowadays. In the past  before 1950 in Sibu any one who wanted to buy ice had to have a paddle boat to collect their ice from Hua Hong factory.




This is one of  their desserts...very cold and refreshing for a hazy and dusty day morning in Marudi. The menu is quite long and you can be spoilt for choice.



Shaved ice with dollops of palm sugar....

My friends enjoying Angry Bird!!! And the shop was very pleasant for friends to meet up and chat. Being small it was not really that noisy with loud customers.



Sinful Ice cream (their own original recipe) and orange topping. Very citrus-y...
This is my friend's chendol with all the goodies...sago pearls...agar agar..cincau and even one scoop of icecream...and this is really good for the Puasa Month's Buka Puasa....

I hope one day I would be able to drive my children to Marudi for Chendol!!

8 comments:

blee said...

cool shaved ice..

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

In Lay Chung school, the accounts clerk and her siblings were my students. The Dad owned a n ice factory.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

sorry, I mean Kai Chung school, I think they were Lau, must be your sweet potato relatives, big family.

Ensurai said...

Hi Blee...thanks for dropping by..yes shaved ice is just so lovely at all times..even at 9 p.m.!!

Ensurai said...

Ann...Lau family? Some one who owned an ice factory in Bintangor? May be my cousin (one of the Laus there) would know...yes..big family...

Anonymous said...

hi Sarawakiana, you think they use boiled water in their ice block ?

i ever saw some old coffee shop just open the tape,refill and masuk into the freezer

Ah Ngao

Ensurai said...

Ah Ngao...Good question. I have feeling they don't boil their water...So we have to pray that the tap water in Marudi is "potable" (can be consumed).

Also to some people freezing water (at 0 degrees) may kill some of the germs...

For fish and chicken...ice blocks from from tap water are good enough.

Ensurai said...

Ann...seriously...our potato vines are creeping all over NZ now...I have found out that Lisa and I share some cousins!!

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