The Expo

Curtain falls as Ramadhan took off the stage. Hari Raya is finally here! We turned into a happy lot who enthuastically munch on our distinct traditional delicacies. But for how long?

On second day of puasa, I went to a friend of mine who supervises a bazaar ramadhan stall here in Bangsars’ Jalan Telawi. As usual, there are streams of people who wanted to grab their meal for berbuka. Not forgetting, others do not puasa (due to different religion or some other reason) who tagged along enjoying the wide selection of food and beverages offered by plethora of stalls over there. That’s fine, Its great to see the different faces of Malaysia wondering at the same bazaar looking for treats.

Everything from sotong bakar, nasi briyani and ayam berempah were present. Smoke billowing from ayam golek madu (honey grilled chicken) tickled my appertite. Sizzling Ikan bakar pre-wrapped with banana leaf whose tempting aroma rises from the frypan ignited a flood of acid inside my tummy. All this, occurred while the first hand of the clock is nowhere near six. Oh! How dreadful waiting can be especially on the second day of puasa.

At the corner end of bazaar, I stumbled upon the Chinese pasar held simultaneously connected through a series of stalls selling fake crocs sandals, potted flowers and China-made clothing bundle. I proceeded walking through the Chinese pasar which stall flanked to my left and right. There is nothing different from the bazaar as the amount of visitors are almost the same, as usual walking through the narrow walkways are painful when you had nothing to see. In terms of items traded, the Chinese market has got a few perishables such as fresh fruits, vegetables and fish (exception of meat), as I am well aware that the market is akin to pasar tani.

One thing that attracted me to walk further into the Chinese market is their inclusion of foodstuff. Earlier on, the bazaar had offered me a visual feast of meal. But this time around, the Chinese market had more to offer than the Malay dominated bazaar. A walk past middle-aged soya seller had me paused a moment along those narrow walkway, staring how the soya being poured into the individual plastic bags before being tied and sold. I know I’m not disillusioned by the many foods displayed that day, but I’m fascinated by the frothiness of the soya milk. Its one of those magic moments for soya lovers like me to grab and taste those thick fresh soya milk.

Of course, this blog entry is just too ridiculous to talk about thick soya milk and magic moments. I proceed and walk farther into the Chinese pasar which by now had my sight on Chinese apam balik. The seller is very generous to give more nuts and corn into the apams. The smell of roasted nuts just enough to drive me nuts, again, it made me walk past the stall very slow that it might had the person behind me grumbled inside their mind “ tengok mau, nak beli tak nak”

At the end of the Chinese pasar, there is one ;perhaps- long established stall that sells laksa which happens to provide seating for its patron. There were plenty of people enjoying their meal. Again the sight of the preparation of food is top notch as the equipment are clean and stills gleams when metal parts are susceptible to fungi growth especially near the bottom edges. I sighted none. Again, generous seller had the laksa kuah thick and much more wholesome ( why am I obsessed with thick gravy?), it seems the content is not compromised. Smiling faces across the three-quarter full stall is a testament that the laksa stall sells good food.

After elapsing a round, Im back to the bazaar ramadhan. Yes, indeed, they do have soya milk, apam balik and laksa( things alike ) here. Sold by Malay Muslim traders  which undoubtedly sells halal food. But halal does not mean halai balai (parents use this northern jargon to refer half-heartedly done job). If I were a food critic, the Chinese pasar food offerings would have won and beaten the bazaar hands down. The Malay-dominated bazaar has got options but lacked that ommph! Imagine soya pouring like tap water. Thin and light that it would ran off your tongue without any traces of texture to devour? They even dare to lie when I ask: “ Kak, soya ni pekat ke?” “ Pekaattttt…..”

I should have uttered “ *insert your curse* “ to her face. Yes, all this hindered from happening, as ramadhan is better rewarded when we exercise patience. In short, Ramadhan is a gateway for these traders to exploit and extort money.

I am saddened by attitude of some of our Malay traders at the recent bazaar. They went ahead to sell their food as if to reach that ‘thousand-ringgit’ critical point and pay down-payment for a new car to show off during Hari Raya. We cherish our food and recipe regarded it as turun temurun yet we failed to appreciate it as much as our pride. Kuih Melaka had its core too small, that it come to a point that it wasn’t sufficient to soak my tongue with gula Melaka. An Ikan-bakar seller in Putrajaya bazaar sells half cooked fish which tasted pungent, I had to call off my buka puasa  since the fish terribly looks, feels and tastes like an alien meat (you’ve seen predator in alien vs.predator? Picture those predator dreadlocks being chopped off and char-grilled ).  This is what it meant by halai balai.

Malay traders must upgrade their food standards. Stop doing nasty jokes like telling people tap-water quality soya is thick to their standard when Chinese soya seller were capable preparing ‘melted-chocolate viscosity’ soya milk. Lard added soya milk might sound ridiculous to what these Chinese soya sellers could achieve, instead, the Malay soya sellers should start thinking instead of throwing tantrums and cast viciously wild doubts about the secret of soya thickness. It goes to the apam balik and laksa too.

Display of true passion

A bazaar ramadhan should have been a food exposition. Like car exposition where automobile companies feature prototype of their best technology and design their minds could ever produce, so does a bazaar ramadhan. It should have showcases the passion of our Malay traders towards their turun-temurun recipes, with their offerings of best-est and high standard that shall impress any living soul that visit the bazaar. Through these food expo, people from different background could have a taste and traders could tugged a few regulars that would bring in good money for the rest 11months or years to come, in the scenario of the traders had a premise. Even though if they do not have fixed premise, an excellent food will undoubtedly receive special orders that these traders could cater to.

As far as I have seen, some sellers are keen to take advantage of the many people that flocked the bazaar. There is clear indication of these sellers pushing for quantity rather than quality. Perhaps, for that down-payment for a new car?  I spent average RM5 for each bazaar visit and I know this amount of money would not make a significant wealth to any traders out there. But, I expect the bazaar stall gave a bit of value stretching to that money. I know my decision is not impaired if I grabbed those thick, more texturized soya from the mid-aged Chinese soya seller. Do not rest on your laurels due to the fact that a Muslim like me MUST find halal food. Halal must include cleanliness, appropriateness of materials and quality.

Regardless of turun temurun or not, a shift can occur if the Malay traders fails to catch up. Chinese had daring ventures from making curries till nasi kandar. No doubt these are not their indigenous food but they can do it well.  Come to think of it, we live in houses made by their contractors, worn shoes repaired by their cobblers, could the food that runs into our bloodline prepared by their hands? Its very possible, and it could be very soon.

When the rendangs I ate and soya I drink are from them. Do ask why I lost faith towards the ones made by ours. Sure, my RM5 would not make anybody poorer. Apalah sangat RM5 tu, ingat besar sangat duit banyak tu… Nak sedap-sedap buat sendirik la…..

Selamat Hari Raya 2009!