The shop keepers who lived along the Khoo Peng Loong Road, as shown in the photo, faced the Rajang River. Lots of boats would come in from Kapit and Kanowit bringing in a lot of jungle produce, including fresh game, and engkabang besides rubber sheets.
Thus the shop keepers here have first choice of the best wildboar, snake, deer and river turtle meat.
 |
| a few slices of the skirt of a turtle and a small egg in turtle soup. |
One of my aunts has very fond memories of a few friends who would inform her to get some good river fish and some river turtle. River turtle soup was truly better than chicken soup she told me.
She also told me that one particular part of the river turtle was the skirt, which was full of good collagen. The texture of this area was really gelatinous and heavenly.
In the olden days, before laws were enacted to protect wild animals, it was easy to find river turtle and good river fish and all sorts of other jungle meat at the Khoo Peng Long hawker stalls.
Turtle soups have long been considered a luxurious delicacy and contains healing properties.
Besides the various Towkay neos, many frugal Foochow housewives also wanted to serve turtle soups to their mothers in law or fathers in law. It was an act of filial piety according to my aunt, for the soup promotes longevity.
And I particularly remember one childhood story of a towkay neo who insisted on carrying a Cheng Ark and walking to a shop where her husband was working. She made sure that he got his lunch, and his favourite soup. She did not trust any one to bring that precious lunch. All lunches were delivered by herself.
(So now you know why I find it not a good practice to order food delivered during the MCO. Yes, you can imagine the horror of the delivery boy drinking the soup and then watering down the soup for the towkay. Horror of horrors.)
No comments:
Post a Comment