September 17, 2016

Chang Ta Kang : Hua Hung Ice Factory and Rice Mill

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The Last Days of the Japanese Occupation

My great grandfather, grandfather and father operated the Hua Hung Ice Factory and Rice Mill since the 1927. Throughout the Japanese Occupation, they were fortunate enough to have rice to eat. The family did not have to eat potatoes at all.

But unfortunately my great grandfather passed away in 1943.

It is a family joke that my father did not meet my mother during the war. So it was unfortunate  for my mother as she and her siblings were so tired of eating sweet potatoes. Whatever rice my mother planted, had to be first given to the elderly and the children. The rest who were stronger ate less white rice.

9th March 1945 - When the Allied Forces came, bombs were dropped on the banks of the Rajang and the Igan, but luckily no bomb was dropped on Hua Hung Ice Factory.  And that spared my father, his siblings and parents.

One stray bomb was dropped in Sibu town, damaging the back walls of the Masland Church and a few shops.  So many people retreated to seek protection from their relatives in the villages.

Then came June when many people died after a few more bombs were dropped. Streets and shops in Sibu were badly damaged.

However, my father was not sure of the real figures. The residents of Sibu were petrified and many actually rushed in the jungles, leaving the town for quite a number of hours whenever they heard planes coming near Sibu. It was a panicky time in the town.

For many days, the Japanese were seen to be on a retreating mode, after burning their uniforms, and even vehicles at a place fairly near the Lau King Howe Hospital. This was seen by many of our relatives who lived in Sg. Bidut.

 Many of the Japanese soldiers ( they were called deserters) took their powered boats up to Song and Kapit. It was said many of them actually were beheaded by the locals. It was quite chaotic in Sibu then.

When news of the atomic bombs (9th August 1945)were dropped in Japan spread to the villages, there was quite a bit of fear actually. Some did not know what kind of bombs they were. The bombs of the Allies were bad enough.

My father and his friends who had been building the Sibu Airport were also saddened that a lot of their work was "bombed" by the Allies. Two bombs were dropped near Sg. Merah behind the Tien Doh Tong but Sg. Merah bazaar was saved and that was very fortunate.

Many of the able bodied men all came to the town to see what action should be taken next. The last few of the Japanese in Sibu were moved to Kuching on 17th Sept. 1945. On 11th October the Allied Government issued a written notice to tell every one to be disciplined and orderly.

The troops gave out clothes and food to the locals who behaved in very orderly manners according to my father. The Malay and Iban Headman, together with the Chinese leaders (Lau Kah Tii, Ling Kai Cheng,etc) made sure that everything was well distributed.

Foochow Peace Eggs and Fried Soh Mien

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The best peace eggs and fried soh mien dish is from Lutong Cafe in Miri.

Mrs. Wong's chef is really good with this traditional Foochow dish. Mrs. Wong, bless her heart, puts her soul and heart into her food business. Her F and B staff are loyal and very very pleasant. Dinner is always a pleasant affair at Lutong Cafe.

When a Foochow orders this dish the restaurant would know that it is for a birthday and special toches will be given to all the dishes.

The hardboiled eggs are deep fried and none of them should be broken or torn here and there. The Foochows say, the egg white must not "burst".

There are usually one peace egg for each diner. So you can tell, this platter is 8 .

This famous dish is very Foochow. You can find it in Sitiawan, Sibu and Miri, and even Marudi where many Foochow chefs are working.

The longevity noodles must have dried mushrroms, eggs, cabbage, carrots to add sweetness to the saltish soh mien. Good fresh sesame oil must be used too.

September 7, 2016

Sarawakian Local Delights : The Iban Woman Oil Palm Smallholder



This is my friend's mother, Indai Patrick. She has inherited a plot of land from her grandmother in Niah and has been cultivating oil palms for more than 5 years. Her husband is a Chinese civil servant from Kuching. Both have been working hard in the small holding at their spare time.

today, the family is enjoying the fruits of their labour.

A staunch Roman Catholic, she makes sure that her children and grand children come together to say their prayers and attend MASS whenever they can. One day they will get their own vehicle. At the moment she is strong enough to carry all these to a small Ford f-wheel, which she pays 50 ringgit per load.

"In the past she and her parents depended on padi, rubber and jungle products. Today, oil palm is No.1 Cash Crop," she told me.

May God bless you and your honest labour!!

September 6, 2016

Sarawakian Local Delights :Duck Rearing in the Rajang Valley

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Ducks were actually brought over from China by the early Chinese migrants (Need more research here).

Since 1901, ducks have been reared by the Foochows along the Rajang Valley.

Today as more and more Foochows have moved to the towns of Sarawak and even to other parts of the world. duck rearing has been a domain of the Ibans, Malays and other races.

In one farm, an Iban woman said that she is "the half way house". She shares her duck rearing business with a foochow towkay and after the ducks are matured, they are sold to restaurants  in Sibu.
Business is good and often she and her partner do not have enough ducks to sell.

All her ducks have to be very mature, otherwise the small feathers ( which the Foochows call, under feathers) cannot be easily "plucked". That is to say, dressing the duck becomes extremely difficult.

The skin of the duck is an essential part which makes the duck soup awesome according to our Foochow elders.

September 3, 2016

Sarawakian Local Delights : Dagu or the Jowl







When one visits the long house for a gawai or a celebration a pig or two might be slaughtered for the feasting and to welcome visitors. It can be for a wedding or the welcoming of a new politician.

Now one hidden secret of pork connoisseur is the jowl, or the lower jaw flesh of the pork face or head. The Ibans in the longhouses would give the pig head to the team which slaughters the pig and a bbq would already be set up by the river side after the pig has been slaughtered. The river bank, especially if there is a pebble beach is an ideal place for slaughtering of animals, as the river water would conveniently wash away all the unwanted parts and clean the meat.

the jowl is similar to belly pork and once it is well marinated with salt and pepper for more than `12 hours, it can be roasted either in the oven (250 degrees) or over the slow embers of an open fire.

It is very delicious when sliced thinly and served with rice and other jungle vegetables.

The Foochows love the dagu also and usually have it braised in soy sauce, or what other dialectic groups call, Pak Lo, with lots of garlic and 5 spices. In the 1950's and 60's the wharf labourers of Sibu often enjoyed having a cheap meal of slices of jowl with their white rice and lots of soy sauce. In the evenings when all the wharf labourers had gone home, the hawker selling the economy rice would "lelong" the left over meats to people who like to buy the cold slices. A family would have a good meal with only 3 dollars worth of dagu, all chopped up by the sharp cleaver of the vendor.

Today in most western countries' supermarkets the dagu or the jowl is sold in the fresh meat department or in the bacon section.

September 2, 2016

Disappearing Sibu: Khiaw Hin Coffee Shop

One of the oldest coffee shops in Sibu will be relocated to another site.

The land is owned by the Sarawak  Chinese Association of Churches and has two buidings, the Methodist Book Room and the coffee shop. In order to make way for a new block, and expansion, the two buildings would be demolished. 

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This coffee shop was established in the 50's or for as long as I can remember. It served as an extended living room for many mothers who waited for their children, especially from the kindergarten.

The coffee shop operators served breakfast, lunch and even dinner in the most friendly way possible. The  Methodist Church had also found the coffee shop very convenient as it catered for their needs from time to time.

It is sad to see this old place gone.

September 1, 2016

Bamboo

Did the foochows also bring their own Foochow bamboo to plant in Sarawak?

When my paternal grandfather told us stories about his trip to Sarawak, he told us that he had seeds in his cotton bag and some cuttings or twigs. But he did not say much or elaborate much because he was a very quiet ma. Did he bring cuttings of bamboo?

But eventually, every where he built a family home he would have at least two groves of bamboo growing. Thus we always had good bamboo shoots to eat when he was still alive. He made sure that he grew good bamboo.

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I was able to visit our ancestral home in Wun Chieh, Minqing to meet my cousins. It was then I realised that for generations my family actually grew bamboo and sold bamboo shoots in different forms. Wun Chieh is a land full of different kinds of bamboo.

Sarawakian Local Delights : Unripe Durian Flesh as Vegetable



God has given us lots of fruits.

but sometimes fruits cannot stay on the trees until they are ripen. They drop either naturally and are called "nature's reject" by the local Ibans, or "aborted fruits" by others. They can also be brought down by wind when a mature fruit drops on an unripe fruit and brings it down to the ground.

these unripe fruits must not be discarded because they can be cooked as a vegetable.

When visiting longhouses, one can be very surprised that the evening meal consists of a soup made of unripe durians, ikan bilis and onions.

The unripe durians  have the texture of potatoes. And it is a delightful, sweetish taste. There is no durian taste at all.

God has given us his bounty. We should not waste his blessings!!

Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...