its all about tradition

with it being the lunar new year and all, this girl thought that it would nice to get in touch with her roots and share some of the foodie traditions that the family observes year after year. yes, there is the usual pineapple tarts, ba kwas and kueh bangkits...but i am quite sure that there are few that have roots in the pernakan culture, so chinese new year isn't quite so chinese for this girl and her family....

the first meal of the new year for the family has always been mee sua cooked in chicken broth and abalone. mom always makes the effort to ensure that the chicken broth simmers in the slow cooker regardless how busy she is the few days leading up to chu yi. so we all wake up to yummy smells of homecooked chicken soup and can't wait to tuck in to some of the homecooked goodness. a simple of truly significant breakfast....mee sua for long life, abalone for wealth and prosperity and the chicken broth for nourishment and good health. heart (and tummy!) warming meal...filled with goodness to start the year of on the right foot!

lunch is the other highlight on the first day of chinese new year...so much so that this girl makes a conscious effort not to eat at any other house between brekkie and lunch just so that she has maximal capacity to enjoy the pernakan lunch awaiting! preparation for the meal starts a full two weeks before before the buying of special ingredients and preparation for the sauces and the like. it really is a culinary skill that has been passed down from my mama law down to my ji kor, and kudos really to ji kor for single handedly cooking a storm up year after year.

after the festive good luck tossing of the yu-sheng, we all couldn't wait to fill our plates up with the eight-course spread beautifully laid out in pretty pernakan porcelain ware. there were the all time classics of the ayam buah kelauk, satay babi, liver balls, hir peow soup and sambal timun and the specials of the ayam sio, sambal berlim bling and roast pork. this girl will really let the piccies do all the talking for i am sure just but looking you will agree that nothing beats homecooked pernakan food. everything was literally stewed and cooked to perfection, with the rich pernakan flavours and spices fusing into every single dish. topped with the ultra kick-ass homemade sambal belachan, all i can say is that this girl is truly blessed to be part of the pernakan culture!

happy year of the rat all!

written in memory of mama law...