Oh, at times we are a bit lavish with food, buying more than needed, then later feel bad about it. We fast the whole month of Ramadan. It should bring back some senses to everyone, that we can do with less, and a time to appreciate the hardship the poorer has to go through in life.
Kids are induced into fasting bit by bit. Mothers would encourage children to fast half the day. No food til lunch, and slowly get them to fast dawn to dusk, joining the adults. The whole development is very much tactical, encouragement and rewards. Mothers would promise new clothes ( or anything within their means) if children manage fasting well. Favourite food on the table for
berbuka (breaking the day fasting) will be one of the inducement. Mothers would cook or go out to Ramadan Bazar to pick a few for children.
With the rule of supply and demand, Ramadan Bazar is here to stay, the whole length of fasting month. And mothers will continue the tactical game to induce children to fast the whole day and the whole month. That's how it goes, the perpetuation of life.
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| beautiful tents, the hallmark of Ramadan Bazar |
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| A hot day, blue sky |
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| seller and buyers |
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| home made drinks |
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| Look at the kid..., wondering which one to choose. |
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| Kakdah settled for pulut udang |
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| RM2 and 5 pulut udang changed hands. |
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| I turned back for a final picture, farewell to Ramadan Bazar |
It is in this part of Malaysia that I learn a delicacy "Tok Aji Serban". I bet Puan Asmara had forgotten what's the taste like, being away for far too long. Kakdah however prefer the name seri muka (translated roughly as as shining face), because to her that's more feminine. We can build a long list of nice food for ramadan breakfast: cucur udang, akok, ketayap (that's sound a little bit like tok aji serban), bihun goreng, mee goreng, cucur keriya, tepung talam, cakar ayam, bubur lambok ( or kanji for northeners). A mere mention of their names, tickle anyone's appetite!. In the old days, we did food exchange. Children would take a plate of something to the neighbor, then wait for the exchange. Mothers prepare one, but end up with so many on the table......., a communal value that is slowly fading.......
Kakdah bought 5 pulut udang, which in fact is glutinous rice with coconut grating in the middle mixed with chili and prawns, wrapped with banana leaf and grilled. Its is nice.....
Bangchik and Kakdah
During college I had several Muslim roommates in dorms or houses and during Ramadan I would help by letting them know exactly when the sun had gone down. Even though I am Catholic and I don't fast too often, I always tried to eat dinner with my Muslim friends if I was around. I will never forget experiencing different foods for Ramadan too! I ate a lot of Lebanese food as well as tons of different foods for African nations. Thanks for sharing your photos too! This is a special time to share with us.
ReplyDeleteLove these pictures, love bazars of all types. In Russian, we have the same word Bazar, and it means and sounds the same!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and interesting post. Nice to know that mothers around the globe are resorting to bribery to convince young children to cooperate. It is unfortunate that the communal ways are falling by the wayside, also seems to be a global trend. Pulut udang looks delicious, how I would like to sample some.
ReplyDeleteI bet the Pulut udang takes a long time to make but worth it in the long run. I would try it!
ReplyDeleteAnn, aka Amateur Bot-ann-ist
ReplyDelete~ The world is beautiful with differences in beliefs and cultures. Efforts to understand and appreciate one another will make our little world last longer (I would think so).
Tatyana@MySecretGarden
~ Yes, bazar/ or bazaar exists for a reason, a way for things / food / clothes to change hands. Bazar is always colourful and exciting anywhere, Malaysia, or Russia...
Rebecca @ In The Garden
~ I would prefer the word inducement rather than the truer bribery!... aha. As long as we get the intended results, the ways and approaches are secondary... yea?
Rosey
Pulut udang doesn't take long to prepare. Kakdah says, 1 and a half hour is enough!
When i stayed with my friend in Bandar Selangor for a week, they brought us to some Malaysian traditional food and we sometimes even watch them prepare and cook. We also went to her parents old place in the kampung and we ate young jackfruit as vegetable with coconut milk, which we also have here. What kakdah bought we also have in the north part of the country. However, we dont put chili and shrimp, it is just a delicacy or dessert. We call it "tupig". I actually love it. We have several variations of it too!
ReplyDeleteI love pulut udang, my favourite for buka puasa. Now Im buying less and less from Ramadhan bazar, its much better with homecook, you can keep for sahur later.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I had a packet of nasi kerabu with ayam goreng. Bought it from a Ramadan bazar nearby here... wah very sedap! I wish we can have this kind of bazar whole year round. I like those pulut also. Happy fasting :-D
ReplyDeleteAndrea
ReplyDelete~ you describe the menu well with young jackfruit. It must be masak lemak nangka. You try out pumpkin, coconut young shoot (umbut kelapa) or bamboo shoot in place of jackfruit.... exquisite!!
AaronVFT
~ you shouldn't miss local bazar aaron, in KL it's even busier.
p3chandan
~ Yea, bazar is meant for busy working people, families with young children. Sometimes we walked the whole stretch and ended with just one kueh.... Bazar is about communal focal point!
Stephanie
~ You should try nasi kerabu with lada solok!!... the green chili with fish paste.
Great post. I like the idea of exchanging food with the neighbors.
ReplyDeleteKim and Victoria
ReplyDelete~ exchanging is a sharing. In a way it raised the standard of cooking, since food would be tasted by many!
oh I would love to visit that bazaar. lots of great sounding products. I like the new look of your blog by the way!
ReplyDeleteWe had not been to bazar ramadhan this ramadhan as yet. Some of my son's friends were really amazed about that. In a way, we are missing the cheer of Ramadhan. Your mention about exchanging food with neighbours brought tears. I am surprised how much Ramadhan memories that brought me and I really regret that we have let that tradition passed.
ReplyDeleteI miss the Pulut udang...
ReplyDeleteWendy
ReplyDelete~ thanks for liking the blog new look. Huh, I have forgotten how the old look was.... Bazaar is the heart beat....
Aishah
~ Going to Bazaar, is like coming home, and be in the middle of things, and be part of the society... haha. About exchanging food with neighbours.., no harm in starting again....
Lrong
~ You should come back soon... to renew the familiarity!.. aha.
I love going to these Ramadhan Bazaar!! And like always, end up with too much food. Anyway, it is a once a year affair and it's not just for the food. It's also for the whole muhibbah thing.
ReplyDeleteSelamat Berbuka Puasa to you and Kakdah.
Food so delicious!
ReplyDelete~ it's nice of you to point out bazar, an avenue for muhibah. We need to mingle more... yea?
I love going to bazars in different county I go to - they always have different and new strange thing to try out. /MB
ReplyDeleteMaria Berg
ReplyDelete~ Bazaar is like the heart beat of society!
Bangchik, yes there was a green chilli inside that packet of rice. But the paste is grated coconut. I love the taste! You mean it's mixed with fish? No wonder so nice :-)
ReplyDeleteStephanie
ReplyDelete~ not fish but udang!... fitting the name Pulut Udang.
Sorry Stephanie , I thought you are referring to pulut udang. Yes, lada solok does have fish paste.... We can get decent nasi kerabu at RM2.50 over here, I know it is a lot more expensive at your place.
ReplyDeleteI think it was twice your price haha... But it was super delicious.
ReplyDeleteSelamat Hari Raya to you and your family :-D