Bak Chang Day

Today is Bak Chang Day. (Bak Chang means Pork Dumpling in Hokkien).

Duanwu Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival (or Tuen Ng Festival (in Cantonese pronunciation) is a Chinese traditional and statutory holiday. It is a public holiday in China and Taiwan, where it is called the "Duānwǔ Jié" and a public holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, where it is called the "Tuen Ng Jit". In English it is also referred to as "Dragon Boat Festival", after one of the traditional activities for the holiday. (info from Wikipedia)

I call it Bak Chang Day because the festival is associated with Bak Chang. You see a lot of Bak Changs hanging around in households and many will make the Bak Chang yesterday itself or much earlier. Lots of exchanging Bak Changs too from one household to another.

Lots of auntie auntie were buying last minute stuffs at the market yesterday to make the bak chang. It was like Chinese New Year. They were excited and chattering about like little birds. *lol* As clueless as i am always, i didn't know it was going to be Bak Chang day today. (i wasn't called a banana for nothing)

My mom used to make one of the nicest sweet smelling Bak Chang's ever. I never did find any other Bak Chang close enough to hers. She used to make a lot of Bak Changs when we were little. We'll have it for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. After a few days of eating Bak Changs, you'll even start dreaming of Bak Changs falling on you. *lol*

It is a very tedious affair. She'll wake up real early and get all the stuffs ready. Lay all the stuffs on the floor in bowls, plates and the glutinous rice in a big tub. She needed to sit on the floor because the strings to tie the Bak Changs were hanging on the door handle. hehehehe

When we woke up, we all all surround her like a surround sound system... and play with the stuffs. I never like the black eye peas (not the band Black Eye Peas) so i'll always have special orders. I'll tell her i want this and that.. and no black eye peas. Mom will wrap it up and tie a small string to indicate that is my order. After a while, we will start to disturb her to let us try to make our own Bak Changs. She'll give in and let us try. Usually we get too greedy and pack too much in the leaves. When we try and fold it back, it will burst! *LOL* Then she'll shoo us away.

I never did learn how to make Bak Chang when i grew older. Mom stopped making Bak Changs when we were older. It was way too tedious. And there's not so many of us around to eat it too.

Since today is Bak Chang Day or Duānwǔ Jié, i'll share with you what we have for dinner. Its not a feast but its our usual stuffs plus the Bak Changs i bought from the auntie in the market. That is me trying hard to keep up with traditions. Maybe i'll even attempt to make Bak Changs next year if i hear the aunties chirping a bit earlier about Bak Chang Day *LOL* I got to go consult an expert cook of an aunt first :D

Tadaaaa...

fried fishes

stir fried ladies fingers and kacang botol

old cucumber soup

bought Bak Chang to substitute rice

Mundane stuffs but its already a feast for the three of us. I think one of my sisters will be salivating over this food. *LOL*

Happy Duānwǔ Jié to those that are celebrating :)

Ops! I almost forgot.. i found this on Youtube this morning from The Star. If anyone is attempting to do this Bak Chang... here's how...