Ku lou yok known as sweet and sour pork in English is a Cantonese food icon found across the world in various versions. Ku lou yok is a flexible dish that can take on many tweaks without losing its authenticity or identity.
Johor Kaki Adventurous Foodie Traveler with 77 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com
Showing posts with label History Sunday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History Sunday. Show all posts
How Much Do Lord Ganesha Love Sweets?' Legends of Ganesha's Sweet Love
Lord Ganesha, the Hindu elephant-faced deity, the Remover of Obstacles is a sweet lover.
History of Kangidan / Seijō-kankidan · 1,000 Year Old Japanese Sweet for Lord Ganesha 清浄歓喜団
Japan's oldest sweet, the over 1,000 year old kangidan / seijō-kankidan 歓喜団 has a surprising but mostly forgotten history.
Modak Fried or Steamed · Lord Ganesha's Favourite Sweet
The modak, either fried or steamed, is the favourite sweet of the Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha.
Langkasuka Kingdom History & Menu 100 AD - 1400 AD
2000 years ago, sailors and traders from South India know that they have crossed the Indian Ocean and Andaman Sea when they saw the peaks of Gunung Jerai mountain in Kedah.
They found the local people here friendly, the land had the goods they came looking for and the locals desired the things the Indians brought. So they began trading.
Idli is from China? Riddle of Achaya's Kedli 发糕
Idli is a culinary icon and staple, especially in south India. It is a white fluffy rice cake with three defining elements - it is made of rice, fermented and cooked by steaming.
Surprising Origin of Sushi
✍ 25 Jan 2025. Sushi (along with ramen, etc) is one of the most globally recognisable food icons of Japan.
So, it may come as a surprise to some that sushi which is today so much associated with the freshest ingredients originated from a millennium old fermented fish dish which did not even originate in Japan.
Who Were the Cholas? Did they Leave Legacies beyond Stone Monuments?
The Chola dynasty lasted 1,500 years from 300 BC to 1279 - making it the longest lasting dynasty in history.
During this time, the Cholas achieved a lot, not only in India but also in Southeast Asia, all the way to China's doorstep.
The Cholas left some majestic monuments which remind us of their golden age but little else remains (or so it seems). I suggest that the Cholas also left edible monuments i.e. their cuisine throughout Southeast Asia. These edible artefacts could provide another window of insights into the Cholas which stone monuments didn't.
Origin of Kuih Karas · Keukarah · Kue Sarang Semut & Sri Lankan Aasmi · Legacy of Ancient Indian Traders
During my recent trip to Kedah, I tried kuih karas, the northern Malaysian state's food icon. Kuih karas is a tiny fan shaped biscuit, fried till golden brown. It is brittlely crispy, wiry, crunchy and tastes mainly sweet.
The snack is mainly found in Kedah though it has spread all over the Malaysia through the centuries. Mainly known as kuih karas in Malaysia, it is also called kuih sarang semut (ant nest cake) and kuih jala (net cake).
Food as Living Edible Monument ● Stories of People & Kingdoms through their Cuisine
Monuments are usually made of stone or metal. Unlike artefacts made of wood or leather which can be burned to ashes by enemies, drowned by floods, swallowed by forests, or simply reduced to dust by time, stone and metal can withstand the passage of many seasons.
History of Cambodian · Khmer Cuisine · Ancient Food from Mekong River & Tonle Sap Lake
Khmer cuisine refer to the food of Khmer people. Cambodian cuisine refer to the food of Cambodia which includes several other ethnicities such as Cham, hill tribesmen, Lao, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. Cambodian cuisine has Indian, Chinese and French influences due to the country's history.
Some well known Khmer dishes include prahok, fish amok, pomelo salad, samlar kako, coconut pineapple curry (samlar k'tis), coconut prahok dip and num banh chok. Most may sound unfamiliar but I shall explain more later in this post.
Foodie History of Laos ● Land of Mother Mekong & Children of Sticky Rice
Among Southeast Asian countries, Laos has a relatively low profile. Lao cuisine is also relatively unheralded compared to the dishes of its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam. But, the truth of the matter is, many of us tasted Lao cuisine without knowing it. Most Thai restaurants have dishes from the Isaan region of Thailand - 80% of Isaan dishes have Lao roots. Some of these are synonymous with Thai cuisine, e.g., sticky rice, som tum, and larb are derived from Lao dishes.
To understand how this came about, we need to delve a little into the history of Laos.
Sea Cucumber Trade & the Rise of Islam in Indonesia in the 13th Century
Sea cucumbers have long been highly prized in Chinese cuisine for their health benefits. Chinese traders have since the first century come to the Malay archipelago to source for sea cucumbers. The wealth from the sea cucumber trade likely helped established the kingdom of Samudera Pasai which became the first Islamic sultanate in the Malay world. From Samudera Pasai, Islam spread across the Malay peninsula and archipelago. Today, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world with 207 million adherents.
Origin of Arak Bali · Mongol Invasion of Java & Rise of Majapahit Empire
When in Bali, try Arak Bali, the local traditional liquor (besides the usual international brands). Arak Bali is distilled from fermented coconut flower sap. Alcohol content ranges from 20% to a potent 50%.
Oh wait..., isn't Indonesia a Muslim majority country? How did Arak Bali become a Bali icon along with Babi Guling (Balinese roast pig)?
A Very Brief History of the Melayu Kingdom
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| Muaro Jambi Buddhist Temple |
There was an ancient Melayu kingdom based in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia between the 600s and 1300s. Knowing the history of the Melayu kingdom helps us better understand the roots of Malay cuisine.
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