Mum’s Kitchen: Teo Chew Kueh

so long never post under this heading

maybe my mom is busy

or maybe I am the one too busy

hanging around right in front here for hours

and hence miss out quite a lot

 

recap

the last one was more than 3 months ago

the sweet potato ring

here.. here.. it's terrific

 

Teo Chew Kueh

obviously a Teo Chew savour

my mom is a Teo Chew

she doesn’t speak the dialect

doesn’t inherit any Teo Chew traits

and to my disappointment

doesn’t cook any Teo Chew cuisine

 

this is the one and only thing that

reminds her that she is after all a Teo Chew

yet she learned how to make this

years after she married into

this Hokkien family

from a Teo Chew neighbour

 

we talked about this old granpa twice

while preparing and eating this

this old Teo Chew gentleman

speaking Hokkien with Teo Chew accent

365 in ironed white shirt, shiny shoes

all gel-up hair, golden watch

he really liked to eat this

yes… liked

he is no longer around

 

that’s how old people in the community

are disappearing slowly

once in a blue moon

something came to remind us

of this particular old person

and started to wonder

is (s)he still around

some faces are still vivid

but it has already been years…

 

ok cut the story out

it’s actually a peached-shape dumpling

saltish taste

the filling is made up of

glutinous rice with minced meat, peanuts, mushi

most of the time the skin would be pink in colour

but mummy just decided to cut out the colouring

 

actually I wondered

the mold is only one-sided,

so we ended up getting

the left side of the peach for all

asked mummy to buy mold

of the other side

so we will have a completely shaped peach

left and right

forget it if you can’t get

what am I trying to say

 

*please refer to the respective captions