shiokadelicious!

Choco-Therapy

This was my lunch.

It was a mad, mad day. Rushing from appointment to appointment… phonecalls… emails… faxes… heavy traffic… scarce parking lots… frayed nerves… diminished levels of patience…

And… low blood-sugar levels. There just hadn’t been time for breakfast… or lunch for that matter.

And so by 3pm, Ms Stomach refused to be cold-shouldered any further. She grumbled, rumbled and growled - - all petulant at having been ignored for the large part of the day. How dare she be deprived of sustenance! Enough was enough. She wanted compensation. She demanded a windfall of a sugar-rush to make up for the hours of deprivation.

I obliged with the first thing that crossed our path…

… a big chocolat noir fourre au praline (dark chocolate rocher praline).

We are talking about a seriously large praline. It is about 4 cm in diameter and height (or, if you prefer working in inches - that’s over 1½ inches). Certainly not your average-sized praline, that’s for sure.

It is a rich, decadent pairing of dark chocolate and hazelnuts.

A thin layer of smooth dark chocolate surrounds a soft, luscious hazelnut praline center.

It is luxuriously aromatic… richly smooth… decadently rich…

And… sugar-high-inducingly sweet.

I normally prefer a less sweet - ideally bittersweet - dark chocolate praline. But hunger does funny things to one’s sense of discernment. And guess what? I had not one, not even two… but three of these babies! Yes, I’m a glutton. I admit it. And especially so when it comes to all things chocolate.

These pralines from Carrefour are pretty good - - not stupendously great, but when starving and in desperate need of a rush of sugar, they sure hit the spot. And if you eat three at one go, they also cure all desire for chocolate (even in an unrepentant chocolate “addict” like yours truly) for, oh, probably at least 48 hours or so.

Still, there is nothing quite like chocolate to chase away all those stress demons.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Maybe you've noticed : the blog updates have been rather non-existent the last couple of weeks. My apologies. But Life (yes, that thing called “real life” which intrudes rudely into my virtual world from time to time) has been crazily hectic, albeit also fascinatingly interesting and attention-absorbingly exciting (not that food-blogging isn’t all those things too, of course).

Diversions aside, there have been cooking and eating happening as well - - naturally. And so hopefully - - fingers crossed - - in between catching up on some sleep, I’ll get my act together, and have some of those posts up in the next couple of weeks.

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Touched By A Stranger

Long-time readers of this blog will know that I have a thing for Tim Tams, and dark chocolate Tim Tams in particular. But these last few months have been difficult for me in the Tim Tam department. These little chocolate joys have been out of stock all over Singapore for months on end; not a single packet can be found at any of the supermarkets across the country. Why there has been this lengthy interruption to supply I do not know; what I do know is that it has left me with a severe case of Dark Chocolate Tim Tam cravings.

Before today, there had seemed little possibility of assuaging my raging longings, short of flying Down Under and packing a suitcase full of the chocolate indulgence to bring home with me. But this afternoon, as a result of the heartwarming friendliness and kindness of a “stranger”, I received not only a bagful of the dark chocolate Tim Tams, but also two packets of the new Tia Maria-flavored variety which has not even been launched in Singapore yet. I felt like I had struck the lottery!

Sometimes I am truly overwhelmed by the warm-heartedness, kindness and friendliness that are extended to me by the readers of this blog. And yes, today’s kind “stranger” is a regular reader of this blog. Until this afternoon, we had never met. In fact, until about three weeks ago, we had never communicated. Then we exchanged a couple of emails about a certain food item; she mentioned she was going to Australia and did I need to buy anything; in jest, I said I was craving Tim Tams but no, I really didn’t need anything. And yet, upon her return, I found an email in my in-box telling me she had helped me to buy some Tim Tams! I was flabbergasted; I was humbled and touched that she had thought of me, someone she didn’t even know, except through reading my blog. And yet, she was prepared to lug back a bagful of biscuits all the way from Australia for me. Thank you, IH! You made my day.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has, through this blog, touched me in so many precious ways. Thank you to all of you who have extended such warmth and friendliness to me… to all of you who regularly leave comments on the blog, and share so generously your feedback, as well as your cooking and food experiences and ideas, I thank you for making my blog journey such a fun, enjoyable and enlightening one. Your enthusiasm is contagious! It is you who have helped make this blog what it is. Thank you also to all of you who send me such heartwarming, kind, fun, chatty and informative emails. It is a joy every morning to read my mail. I may struggle a little bit sometimes in getting back to all of you on time; but please know that each email warms my heart, and reaffirms for me the wondrous kindness and love of humanity. I am so touched that you take the time to drop me a note, sometimes just to let me know that a recipe has gone well, or to share a disaster, or to let me know that you have discovered a food item that I have mentioned in a particular shop, or sometimes, simply just to say “hi”. I am truly humbled by your support, open-heartedness and warmth. Thank you for extending to me your friendship.

You know, for every nasty email I receive (and I have received quite a few of them, from people who felt the need to make unprovoked outbursts), I receive so many times more emails of the warm loving variety. And these I cherish and appreciate most sincerely. I haven’t really had a chance before, but today I would like to thank and acknowledge you. Thank you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

But what of the Tia Maria Tim Tams you ask. How are they? They are very good; lusciously rich with the aroma and flavor of Tia Maria. Coffee and chocolate are a natural, heaven-made match. These biscuits are also incredibly fresh. Just look at the gleaming glossiness of the chocolate coating. But you know what would have made these biscuits even better? A dark chocolate instead of a milk chocolate coating. Maybe I’m biased – I’m a huge dark chocolate fan after all – but the milk chocolate was just that tad bit too sugary sweet for me. However, I’m not complaining… after months of going without Tim Tams, I’m savoring every bite of my little bounty!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Cheap and Good

Sitting on the fringe of one of Singapore’s many well-known food hubs is a rather unassuming, almost nondescript food stall. It takes up a small corner of a kopitiam (local coffeeshop), which itself is off to the side of the famous Alexandra Village Food Centre (or hawker centre). It is so humble looking that to this day, after years of patronizing the stall, I still cannot remember its name. I know where it is, I recognize the owners, but I can’t remember the name of the stall!

This small food stall sells but two items – the Teochew Soon Kueh and the Ang Ku Kueh (for more information about South East Asian kuehs, please refer to my previous post on kuehs); and it is well-known and highly regarded for both.

Soon Kueh is a classic Teochew steamed dumpling. Traditionally, a thin, smooth and translucent skin envelops a voluptuous filling of sautéed young bamboo shoots (“soon” in Chinese). The dumpling is then brushed with a little oil and steamed to soft, succulent perfection; a light sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds adds the finishing touch. However, for some unknown reason, in Singapore at least, the “traditional” version of Soon Kueh is taken as being one filled with sautéed mung guang (jicama or Chinese turnip), and the bamboo version is normally referred to as being a variant of this. Nevertheless, on the whole, “soon kueh” is the term used to refer to both flavor varieties.

There is also a further variant with a chives filling. In this incarnation, it is technically no longer a Soon Kueh, but a Koo Chye Kueh (“koo chye” - sometimes spelt “ku chye” - being the dialect term for chives).

This stall sells all three versions. I’ve only ever tasted their mung-guang and chives dumplings, since my body doesn’t take too well to the presence of bamboo shoots.

The Soon Kuehs from this stall are big – quite a lot larger than the standard ones sold at hawker centers. And they come stuffed chock-full with filling - shredded turnips sautéed with finely diced carrots and wood-ear fungus.

The ones we bought on this last visit were unfortunately a little under-flavored. And the turnips could have done with more time in the wok too… that elusive “wok-hei”, or rich, complex flavor that comes from using the right intensity of heat and cooking the food for the right amount of time, was sadly missing.

The skin (made from rice flour and tapioca flour), on the other hand, was as good as ever. So beautifully thin and translucent that the fillings could be seen through it; and yet strong enough that it didn’t break or tear when the dumpling was picked up with chopsticks. The true mark of well-made skin I say. The texture was pretty close to perfect too – soft, smooth and succulent, with just the right amount of bite. There was just the right degree of sticky chewiness, without any dough sticking to the back of your teeth as you bit into the dumpling.

The accompanying chilli sauce was very good too. I have always liked the home-made chilli sauce from this stall. It is not tongue-searingly hot. But spice heat alone does not a fine chilli sauce define, in my opinion. I’ve never been one to enjoy food or sauces that have but one dominating flavor note that overshadows all else. I prefer balance, and a holistically complex package of tastes and aromas. It is about richly layered flavors, finely tuned spice and ingredient combinations, fragrant aromas, and just as importantly, long and patient frying (cooking) of the chilli sauce – an often overlooked factor that is essential for delicious sauces.

The chives dumpling also came filled to the brim with stuffing. Look how beautifully and evenly thin the snow-white skin was. Gorgeous. The only let-down was again the filling. Chives absolutely require a good amount of cooking time; otherwise they retain this rather unappetizing green, grassy taste, and sometimes even with a hint of sappiness. Ideally, they should be sautéed to just the right amount of softness so that they are very tender and smooth on the palate. Perhaps it was a substitute cook that prepared the fillings that day; a cook that was inordinately light-handed with the flavorings. Even the finely diced dried shrimps that were added to the chives could do little to lift the filling.

Still, at just 50 cents (US$0.30) per piece one can hardly gripe too much. The Soon Kuehs at this stall are truly cheap. Similar sized ones, and not necessarily better tasting ones either, will normally go for S$1.00 to S$1.20! I think this stall has held their prices steady for years and years, and this fact has not gone un-noticed with their very large and loyal following.

My favorite from this stall however remains their Ang Ku Kueh, and more specifically, their Peanut Ang Ku Kueh.

Again, at just S$0.50 a piece, it is incredible value. Super generous fillings are the trademark of this stall, and it is true of their Ang Ku Kuehs too.

I like their peanut filling for several reasons. The peanuts are roasted just right – not too much, which gives the filling a slight “burnt” aroma, and not too little that the filling lacks fragrance… but just right. (And no, there is no Goldilocks in this story, sorry.) The peanuts are then ground to a very good consistency, not too coarse and chunky and not too fine, but just… right (hey, we’re getting good at this! ). The sweetness of the peanut filling is also finely tuned. And the biggest bonus for me personally is that you can’t see or taste the granules of sugar. I tend to find this to be a problem with many other versions of peanut ang ku kueh. Another common problem is an overly moist filling where the peanuts clump together into a soggy lump and become soft with nary a crunch to them. At this stall, although the filling can occasionally fall a touch on the dry side, but more often than not, it is very fragrant, aromatic and nicely crunchy.

Not to be out-done, the skin is very well-made too. It is nicely soft, with the right amount of stickiness and chewiness. It is also not so thick that you get a whole chunk of glutinous rice flour dough with every bite, nor is it so thin that you feel like you are eating pure ground peanuts and nothing else.

All in all, just three words: good and cheap!

They also sell the Green Bean (Mung Bean) Paste Ang Ku Kueh – both sweet and savory. While the sweet version always has a red colored skin, like the peanut ang ku kueh, the savory one (pictured above) has a skin that is flavored, colored and flecked with a Chinese herb, the name of which I do not know. It lends a very subtle aromatic overtone to the skin, giving it a touch of the savory. In this form, the kueh is known as Aw Ku Kueh.

The generous bean paste filling is again very well made; with a soft and fluffy texture that doesn’t tip over into mushiness (unlike the one I wrote about previously). I’m not usually an aw ku kueh person. I much prefer the sweet one; but this savory version I will eat.

In recent years, they have added to their original repertoire of peanut, sweet and savory bean paste ang ku kuehs. Their range now includes “modern” flavors like yam and yes, even durian. I’ve never tried any of these “new” flavors, and am not inclined nor tempted to. I’m a classic kind of gal, you know… But given their generally high standards, I don’t think they will disappoint if you are so inclined towards those flavors.

I would say their kuehs are definitely among the better ones that I have tasted in our island state. They have remained steadfastly a specialist in these two types of kuehs, and it shows in the standards. And where value for money is concerned, they are pretty much unbeatable. This is one stall that has stayed on my “repeat list” for many years. I don’t visit it often; but whenever we happen to be in the vicinity, this stall is a must-stop.

[Update 19/06/04: a reader has very kindly emailed me the name of the stall: Poh Cheu]

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Have Many Small Breaks – Not!

These are my newest “stop-inhale-savor life’s mini pleasure-moments” items – Kit Kat Kubes.

They are new in Singapore (launched a month or two ago), and I think fairly new in UK too (launched probably end of last year there).

I’ve always loved Kit Kat, ever since I was a kid, ever since the days when Kit Kat was still made by Rowntree, the independent company. Yes, remember that name? Ah! Rings a bell doesn’t it? Boy, that was a long time ago.

I remember in those days, in the 70s, imported chocolate was a luxury. What a treat it was to get a whole packet of Kit Kat. Each of the four chocolate-covered wafer fingers would be very slowly nibbled on, and each tiny bite was savored intently and blissfully.

Those were of course also the days when chocolate candy bars were actually chocolate candy bars. Those Kit Kats, imported directly from the UK, were sweet, rich and oh so chocolatey. Light, crispy wafers coated with luxuriant (“real”) milk chocolate. Oh what delights! What palate pleasers for my young taste-buds.

Then came globalization and the rise of the Asian dragons. And with economic and industrial development, also came the days when our supermarket shelves were filled only with Thailand-made Kit Kat bars. These, unfortunately, did not taste quite the same.

Up until very recently, once in a while, I would drive all the way out to Mustafa to stock up on US- or Australia-made Kit Kat. These were infinitely better than the supermarket versions, yet still not quite like the ones I had as a child. But now… now, I have Kit Kat Kubes… direct from the UK! Woo hoo!

These are good. Less sweet than the US version and richer than the Australian version. These Kubes do not hit the palate with a singular, dominant sugar note. It is a more rounded sweet chocolate note that leads, with a milky middle tone, and a sugary finish. The chocolatey-ness (yes, there is such a word – I just made it up) is fuller, has more body and with smoother notes. And oh, they are just pretty much like how I remembered Kit Kat to be from the foggy annals of my childhood memories.

The added bonus of these bite-sized morsels of sweet indulgence is that there is more chocolate with every bite. All four sides of each mouthful are now covered with chocolate, rather than just two (or three in the case of the two ends of each candy finger).

The tag line for these new Kit Kat Kubes is “have many small breaks”. That however is just near impossible. How is it possible to eat just one Kit Kat Kube? No, this is more like one long extended break of 16 slowly-savored mouthfuls of scrumptious, sweet pleasure.

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Here, Digest This!

This is another one of my “look what I found!” posts. A few weeks ago, or maybe it was over a month ago, I don’t really remember, while I was in Marks & Spencers doing my regular stock-up of their cookies, I chanced upon this new offering. Or at least new in Singapore.

Organic digestive biscuits.

I used to always wonder about the name. Digestive biscuits. Are they supposed to help with digestion? It would seem obvious would it not? Digestive biscuits for digestion. It is afterall a rather literal and functional name for a biscuit. Hardly a name that has been given because it sounds pretty or makes the item-so-named appear more attractive and appetizing. But I could never quite understand how a baked cookie could possibly help the digestive process.

Then, some years ago, I was told this story (the authenticity of which I have not verified). The digestive biscuit was invented in the UK in the early 1800s (by whom I do not now recall), as a means of getting fiber into the diets of the masses. Apparently, at the time, fresh fruits and vegetables were not abundantly available, and what was available was too expensive and thus out of the reach of the working or common class. And I suppose the lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet led to a distinct um… shall we just say “lack of activity” in the bowel department. It supposedly became a serious enough issue to warrant national attention and government intervention. A cheap and efficient way was needed to get more fiber into the guts, and to get things moving along . It also had to be more stable and amenable to storing than fresh fruits and vegetables. And there you have it. The birth of the humble digestive biscuit. This dry, somewhat crumbly, grain-heavy baked disk was loaded with “yummy” stuff like wholemeal flour, wheat and oats. It didn’t sound terribly appetizing, but it did its job, and for some reason it even became popular, and the rest as they say is um… a flush down the water closet.

Two centuries on, the digestive biscuit is still around and thriving. I think it is a very English thing. This “digestive biscuit and tea” idea. I remember in school, it was always digestives with milk. Much like the Americans have their “oreo with milk” culture I guess. I supposed the milk and the dunking of the digestive into it made the biscuit go down easier. It was also the biscuit of choice in many (perhaps almost all) of the older English recipes for cheesecake crusts, pie crusts or even crumble toppings.

However, as society grew more affluent, people simply decided that there were tastier things to eat than digestive biscuits. So, the biscuit brigade struck back by putting chocolate on the digestives. To sweeten the deal, literally and figuratively. And thus garnered for themselves a whole new generation of digestives-lovers.

I’m highly addicted to M&S;’ (that’s Marks & Spencers, if you are wondering) RF chocolate digestives (I don’t like other brands for some reason).

I consume copious amounts of the stuff on a near-daily basis. It’s almost scary how much of this stuff I scoff, even though I know all about the high sugar levels and trans fatty acids blah blah blah. I just love the stuff.

But I digress… back to my little organic find.

Of course, when I saw these organic digestives, I had to pick up a pack. I immediately felt healthier and (ahem) more virtuous.

I like these. They are thinner and denser than regular digestives. Crunchier too, in my opinion. And definitely very healthy tasting, if you know what I mean. They are most likely not to the taste of everyone. However, for some reason, I’m quite partial to them. They are slightly dry and very grain-heavy. But, perhaps because the grains are organic, they have a much nicer, richer, more complex nutty flavor and aroma. As a result, the bite and texture of this version are also different from the regular digestives. I would say these organic digestives have certain similarities to oat cakes (biscuits) perhaps.

I think they would work great as a base for toppings like cream cheese, cottage cheese or ricotta with a dollop of fruit preserves – sort of like instant mini cheesecakes. I’ve also been meaning to (but have not gotten round to) melting some dark chocolate and dipping these into that for some home-made chocolate digestives. Another thought that also keeps playing in my mind in relation to these organic digestives… imagine… a layer of rich, sweet, caramel-y dulce de leche together with a layer of melted rich, bitter dark chocolate spread over the biscuit. Mmmmm…

Or, if you are as lazy as me, just dunk them in cold slightly sweetened soy milk – an Eastern update on the traditional way of eating digestives.

I would rank these organic digestives almost up there with my all-time favorite M&S; cookie… the RF chocolate digestives. Yes, I’m eating these healthier organic digestives, but I’m also still stuffing myself with the chocolate versions. And hey, my life is that much “richer” with two digestive loves instead of one!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think it is time for my next digestive biscuit fix…

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Doing the Tim Tam Slam

What do you get when a couple of full-grown adults start acting like 5 year olds? A lot of silliness, fun and a huge sugar rush, that’s what.

Last Sunday was one of those warm and still afternoons shrouded in a heavy blanket of quietness and tranquility. I was “innocently” snacking on some Arnott’s Tim Tams in the kitchen. But within minutes, everything had dissolved, literally, into a hilarious, messy but glorious jumble of belly-aching laughter and a lot of chocolate goo!

My love affair with chocolate Tim Tam’s began over 20 years ago, and throughout this time, none of the ardor has waned. In that time, I’ve tasted cookies or bickkies (as the Aussies would say) that were elegant, delicious, refined… works of art even. But I can never resist an Arnott’s Tim Tam. This surely must be one of Australia’s most endearing food symbols.

There is just something totally knee-weakening about those two slices of smooth, crunchy, crispy chocolate biscuits, sandwiching a layer of sweet, rich chocolate cream and all completely covered with a layer of rippled milk or dark chocolate (I personally prefer the latter).

I remember 20 years ago, when Tim Tams were still not available in South East Asia, each time a relative or friend traveled from Australia, there would be pleas all round for some Tim Tams to be brought back. And huge cardboard boxes (those used by farmers to pack apples for export) of these biscuits would be brought back (no doubt to the intense amusement of customs officers) and distributed, with each family rationed to maybe only a couple of packs of these divine indulgences. Each piece of Tim Tam was slowly savored and enjoyed… for who knew when our next “shipment” would arrive.

Now, of course, Tim Tams are readily available in all supermarkets, but they have lost none of their charm and appeal. I hear that there are now recently-launched alcohol-flavored Tim Tams. They’ve yet to hit our shores, but… hmmm… not sure I would like my Tim Tam “adulterated” like that… then again, I might just fall in love all over again.

Back to the slam… What is it? Until last Sunday, I’ve never actually done the Tim Tam Slam. (Yes, I was a 'Slam Virgin', I have to admit). I had only heard about it from my brother a long time ago, and the information was filed away into one of the dusty corners of my mind under the “interesting but not immediately useful” folder.

And so there we were, happily munching through a stack of Tim Tams, when I had one of those blinding flashes of genius (ahem!)… let’s try the Tim Tam Slam (sometimes also known as the Tim Tam Explosion or Shotgunning a Tim Tam). Is this sounding violent enough for you?

Okay, okay, there really isn’t any violence involved. Trust me. At least not of the type that will get you arrested.

A piece of Tim Tam is taken, and two tiny bites are taken out of two diagonally opposite corners of the biscuit. The key to Slam success is to take as small a bite as possible. Difficult I know when it comes to biting into a Tim Tam, but believe me, you will be glad you did. Then again, you may like the result of NOT taking small bites out of the Tim Tam. How much risk can you take? Do you like living dangerously?

Now, this is where the fun and the “violence” come in…

Dunk (gently, please…) one of the bitten-off corners into your favorite beverage - coffee, latte, cappuccino, rich chocolate, Milo or just good wholesome milk (hey, why not?) - and, with the other bitten-off corner in your mouth, suck… hard. As if using the Tim Tam as a straw to draw the liquid into your mouth. As soon as you feel the beverage touching your tongue, give a final suck, and “slam” the whole biscuit into your mouth. Now, stop… breathe deep… and savor… all that intense, rich, sweet, gooey, chocolatey goodness assaulting every single taste bud on your tongue. Don’t worry about the copious goop dripping from the corners of your mouth, rolling down your chin, dribbling onto your shirt and coating your fingers. This is NOT meant to be dignified, elegant, dainty or clean.

Of course, practice makes perfect. After a while, you will (hopefully) be able to get the whole saturated biscuit into your mouth before it disintegrates. Hey, what better excuse to finish that entire pack of Tim Tams… just so you can get it juuuusst right. And as an added bonus, at the end of it all, you get to drink that cup of beverage "enriched" with oh about a dozen or so Tim Tam-worth of chocolate. For beginners or ‘Slam Virgins’, I suggest you start with a cold beverage… iced chocolate, iced milo, iced latte, whatever… (I love Tim Tams with icy cold soy milk). It helps you stay in control a little more. Of course, once you are a seasoned ‘slammer’, by all means, go for the real thing… hot chocolate, hot coffee… Now, that is a real slam!

Should there ever be occasion when your body’s sugar level is found “lacking”, try this*… melt a bar of Toblerone chocolate (broken into chunks) in some milk, over a low flame. Once dissolved, pour into a mug and top with some marshmallows. And then… do the Tim Tam Slam. This will surely redefine the term “a sugar high”!

* [taken from here]

Sometimes, we just want to let the child in us out for a while... be messy… laugh until our belly hurts… roar with laughter until we are near collapsing on the floor… and feel the glorious sensation of a chocolatey glob crawling down our chin like some scene out of a C-grade horror movie.

Life is good!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All rights reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, distribute and display any of the images and text contained in this article.

The One That Started It All

About 3½ years ago, there was a mini-revolution of sorts in the bakery industry in Singapore. The way bread was sold to and eaten by Singaporeans was perhaps forever changed. Aggressive upstart BreadTalk launched their chain of bakeries with modern Zen interiors of steel and glass. They called their bakeries “bread boutiques”, elevating the humble bread bun to designer status. And of course, they also launched the one product that shook not only Singapore’s bread world but also created tsunami waves in the nation’s restaurant industry.

What am I talking about? The Flosss bun (yes, complete with the triple ‘s’ in the name). Doesn’t that one extra letter seem to up the “hip and cool” factor just a touch? The product itself is simply a soft white bun topped with pork floss, with a sweet custard/mayo/cream-like filling. Sounds simple, and yet it was considered completely innovative and exciting when it first appeared. Pork floss has been around for generations. It was our ancestors’ way of preserving meat – shredding it and drying it. It was cheap, it was convenient. As kids, we grew up eating pork floss sprinkled over plain white rice porridge. Yet, no-one, it would seem, thought of selling buns with it as the main attraction. But eating floss with bread was not altogether a new idea… even as a kid, I’ve eaten floss sprinkled on a slice of bread, sometimes over a layer of sweetened condensed milk.

Perhaps it was a reminder of childhood memories or the lure of a classy ambience… whatever it was, Singaporeans ate up these buns by the hundreds of thousands! Seriously. Lines snaked at every BreadTalk outlet. Nobody seemed to mind queuing for up to 20-30 minutes to pay for their precious floss buns. Nor did they seem to mind paying designer prices for a humble bread bun. And before you could say “pork floss” other bakeries were jumping on the bandwagon, all launching their own versions of bread with floss. Some were obvious replicas, others “innovated”… and so we came to be acquainted with chicken floss buns, fish floss buns, floss on the inside of the bun, floss on top, floss rolled in a swirl, floss with bacon, floss with sausage… there was floss everywhere!

Almost all these other bakeries sold their floss buns at prices that were 30% or more lower than the original Flosss, and yet Singaporeans couldn’t resist the allure of the first and the original.

The ripples created by Flosss gathered momentum, crashing like tsunami waves through the rest of the food business in Singapore. Strange things started appearing on the menus of “proper” Chinese restaurants. Chicken with pork floss, pork ribs with pork floss, prawns with pork floss, eggplants with pork floss… Even Pizza Hut, (yes, that icon of American fast food culture) at one stage had pizza with chicken floss!! I was almost half-expecting a floss burger to emerge from under the Golden Arches! Unsuspecting foreigners would have been forgiven for thinking floss was our national food!

The reason why I’m writing about this is because I have to plead guilty to past momentary “insanity” too. Yes, there was a time when I couldn’t resist the seductive allure of Flosss. I too had fallen under the spell of its tantalizing aromas, fresh from the oven. I had succumbed to its soft and tender crumb. I was spellbound by the oozing sensuality of its cascades of crispy, fragrant pork floss. Ah! The intense anticipation as I stood in line awaiting my turn for a meeting with Flosss. The sexiness of licking every floss crumb from my fingers…

Then just as suddenly, I stopped visiting Flosss. I could pass its window and not blink an eye. I even became oblivious to its smells. The sight of Flosss no longer caused heart palpitations. Yes, like a teenage infatuation, it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. I joined many other Singaporeans in “awakening” once more.

It has been a long while since I’ve had an encounter with Flosss. But it had to happen, right? Our paths had to cross again, and so it did this weekend. What was it like? Well, it is said that our mind plays tricks on us. Sensations and experiences somehow are always enhanced and heightened in memories. And sad to say, Flosss was not how I remembered it to be. Its taste, its fragrance, its appearance… was this the Flosss I had once loved so much? A twinge of sadness crossed my heart as I looked at the rather obvious “bald spots” where once there used to be a heap of, well, floss… The Flosss I encountered this weekend was a shadow of its former self. Perhaps the slow economy of the last couple of years had affected its constitution… it had lost some weight, its sparkle and brazenness was gone. All the same, I salute you Flosss… thanks for the memories…

Copyright © 2003 Renee Kho. All rights reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, distribute or display any of the images and text contained in this article.

Honey, Honey, Honey

Mmmm… this is one of my favorite cakes – the Honeycomb Cake (S$0.70 per piece) (~US$0.40). Bought them yesterday at lunch from the old-style, traditional bakery next to the market, and had them for tea yesterday and today.

Of Indonesian origins (known as Bolu Sarang Semut in Indonesian, I think), this cake has a beautifully rich dark caramel color and unique flavor from the use of gula melaka (palm sugar). The palm sugar gives it a very distinct aromatic sweetness. But I think one might be able to get a close approximation by caramelizing normal granulated white sugar - perhaps?

(click on image for larger view)

What’s unique about this cake is its texture – it has a honeycomb-like texture. It’s not soft or crumbly like normal cakes, but is slightly springy to the bite, due to the honeycomb structure of the dough. And this is how you can tell the skill of the baker that made the cake. It is not easy to get this honeycomb effect. A really skilled baker will be able to bake a cake that has the honeycomb structure throughout the cake, whilst a less successful version of the cake may only have the honeycomb effect through the top half of the cake.

(click on image for larger view)

Copyright © 2003 Renee Kho. All rights reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, distribute or display any of the images and text contained in this article.