Chinese New Year marks the most unhealthy season for the year despite the fact that most people wish for good health. This festival sees many unhealthy forms of foods and snacking - from pineapple tarts to barbequed pork slices (fondly known as 'bak kwa' to Singaporeans).
Bak Kwa (肉干) is one of my favourite CNY snacks but also one I prefer not to indulge in because it's really unhealthy. I won't ever queue for this food item - it's interesting how many loyal Lim Chee Guan fans queue for hours prior to the New Year at Chinatown when the shop's open throughout the year.
I personally like bak kwa lean and thin, without fatty bits. I'm alright with any brand of bak kwa so long as it's thoroughly grilled and doesn't taste rancid. A couple of years ago, I bought bak kwa chips at People Park's Food Centre. A non-descript little stall which caught my attention because of the colour of the bak kwa - perfectly roasted, with crispy burnt edges. I know about carcinogens BUT proceeded anyway to ask the old man who was doing the grilling if he could sell me a few pieces of bak kwa, particularly the 'more-burnt' ones. He politely shouted from behind the screen, "Not worth it if you buy like that. What about you buy the chips (odds and ends)? I charge you S$18 a kilo. How much you want?" More than happy, I asked for half a kilogram of these bak kwa chips. These were the BEST bak kwa I've ever had!
Straits Times article on 20 Jan 2011
Bak Kwa (肉干) is one of my favourite CNY snacks but also one I prefer not to indulge in because it's really unhealthy. I won't ever queue for this food item - it's interesting how many loyal Lim Chee Guan fans queue for hours prior to the New Year at Chinatown when the shop's open throughout the year.
I personally like bak kwa lean and thin, without fatty bits. I'm alright with any brand of bak kwa so long as it's thoroughly grilled and doesn't taste rancid. A couple of years ago, I bought bak kwa chips at People Park's Food Centre. A non-descript little stall which caught my attention because of the colour of the bak kwa - perfectly roasted, with crispy burnt edges. I know about carcinogens BUT proceeded anyway to ask the old man who was doing the grilling if he could sell me a few pieces of bak kwa, particularly the 'more-burnt' ones. He politely shouted from behind the screen, "Not worth it if you buy like that. What about you buy the chips (odds and ends)? I charge you S$18 a kilo. How much you want?" More than happy, I asked for half a kilogram of these bak kwa chips. These were the BEST bak kwa I've ever had!
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A kg of bak kwa chips from Kim Hwa Guan
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A good friend derailed my weight-watching plan last week by presenting me a kilogram's worth of bak kwa chips. She, too, prefers these to the large square pieces. They'd cost her S$32 a kilogram (per bag) instead of the usual S$28 because she had gone a day late and the shop had declared festive-pricing, a norm for many shops in Singapore, including hair salons and beauty parlours.
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I kept this bag of bak kwa, hoping never to be tempted to cut it open. Not until TODAY. I was starving and lazy to cook because I have been making arrowhead crisps day and night (either slicing or frying) for the past week in my quest to do a few tubs of them for family and friends in time for Chinese New Year.
"The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it...
I can resist everything but temptation."Oscar Wilde
I shall use Wilde's quote to justify my caving-in to a bak kwa lunch. Here's how I eat bak kwa - has been a tradition of mone since I was a child. Arranging pieces of bak kwa to cover slightly more than half of a piece of plain white bread (doesn't taste as good with wholemeal or other types of bread) before folding the bread.
Sigh... I had 4 servings at one go (my record being 8 - many many years ago). The only other ingredient that can make me eat lots of bread is crispy fish floss. I haven't been able to find good ones (phew!) and so haven't over-indulged in fish-floss-and-butter-sandwich like I used to enjoy as a kid.
Look at the lovely shade of the bak kwa!
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In order to keep myself from finishing up the entire bag, I packed them into 3 portions. My husband uses these bak kwa chips as a substitute for Chinese sausages when doing fried rice. Meanwhile, I've kept these portions of pork-slices in the cabinet. See no evil, eat no evil...
P/S: I avoid walking pass the little stall at People's Park Food Centre whenever I'm at the hawker centre for my favourite fish soup or mee pok. The same with Marks and Spencer (potato crisps!!).
P/S: I avoid walking pass the little stall at People's Park Food Centre whenever I'm at the hawker centre for my favourite fish soup or mee pok. The same with Marks and Spencer (potato crisps!!).
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Interesting, you and your hubby are both creative.
ReplyDeleteLim Chee Guan Singapore's queue is just crazy every year. But not much of a choice. Just have to queue cos they make the best bak kwa in town.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the bak kwa and Happy Chinese New Year:)
ReplyDelete