With the wild imagination I have, I still never thought that one day I'd get to travel deep into the tropics, eat food from a fire made from coconut husks, use dyes and wax to paint fabric, and dive in a pit of mud to catch catfish. Yeah, I'd have to say that combination really never crossed my mind when I thought about Malaysia.
Today was positively the most fun I've had on this study abroad, and it all started with my best friend, the coconut <3>
Tangent:
When I was about 12 or 13, I was eating in a Vietnamese restaurant in Saint Paul, Minnesota with my grandmother, cousin, and great aunt. I really don't remember the food or how we got there, but what I d remember was this drink. In a tall, unlikely, brown plastic soda cup, arrived what was called coconut water. Little did I know that for the next nine years I would search to find a replica of such a drink. It was sweet, mild, full of coconut flavor and ever so slightly opaque. But the best part was what rested at the bottom: soft fleshy pieces of white fruit. It felt and looked like white cantaloupe, but tasted like coconut. What on earth was this and how could I get a lifetime supply of it, I wondered.
Well today I found out that this one-lunch-stand was none other than young coconut. Heavens to Betsy! What a reunion! Truthfully, I think I freaked some of the other students out by my extreme enthusiasm, as they proceeded to tell fill my cup with more and more of the stuff and insisted that I finish what was in the pitcher. Heh heh. . . not to all this mellon like coconut flesh is heavenly and perhaps dangerous for those who separate the addict from their drug.
Ok, ok enough already with the coconut. Where was I? . . . .Oh yeah! So we arrived at this little bungalow-like home and immediately started to learn about traditional/historical Malaysian home life and culture.
First on that list of learning: Processing Rice
Before all that high-tech machinery cam around, people would harvest and separate rice grains from the husk by hand. This process consists of pounding the rice with a wooden plunger in a bowl-shaped hollow in more wood. Two people take turns thudding the rice against the walls of the bowl. This idea seems easy, but as we found out, it takes lots of practice to use the just the right pressure, or one's rice will be crushed, broken, and only be good for porridge. After pounding, the rice is places on a woven platter and tossed in the air. The light breeze catches the husks and blows it away leaving only the grains on the plate.
From here we moved onto more refreshments. I guess all that pounding, tossing, and catching was excuse enough to take a break.
Second on the list: Meringue Cakes
These little meringue pancakes are really delicious right out of the pan and into the mouth. With just three ingredients: egg, sugar, and flour, you might think that these confections would be a bit low on the flavor scale. . . that couldn't be farther from the truth. To my amazement, one bite had as much flavor as bacon, angel food cake, and custard combined.
Apparently, in a country where bacon is religiously forbidden, someone found a way to make that smokey fatty flavor in food by cooking it in cast iron over a coconut husk fire. THe way that smoke changed the flavor was outstanding, and I am forever changed in my ideas about cooking methods. Forget hickory smoked, bring me the coconut husks and a match!
To see how to make the batter and cook these yummy things check out the video on the Runaway Cook Youtube channel. Click here for the link.
Next: Batiking Fabric
Batiking is a form of decorating fabrics for framing or wearing that uses wax and dye. The artist uses a special tool the holds hot wax and moves very quickly across white fabric to draw a design. After the design is completed, dyes are applied using a paintbrush. Within the lines of wax colors are blended together, but the band of wax keeps that area free of color. Once finished and set, the fabric is washed in hot water to remove the wax. In our case, we all left the wax in our small wall hangings.
I really loved this! I suggest trying this at home for a fun craft. The most difficult part is drawing with the wax because it moves so quickly.
Fourth on the list: Eat
By now, everyone was famished and eating lunch was vital. We all scrubbed the begeebers out of our hands to get the dye off, but most of us still had stains. We sat down on woven mats and, using no flatware-the malaysian way, indulged on mildly flavored but absolutely delicious food. In fact I enjoyed this meal more than many of the meals we had eaten in restaurants. THe cabbage and rice, chili paste, rice noodles, and fresh juicy mango was amazing.
After lunch is were it gets even better. Fifth on the list: Mud and Fish
There I was, crouching in the mirk, nearly buoyant hanging above the mire. I was focused, not even the burn of the stinging sunlight would crack my concentration. The mud cooked and creased on my shoulders as I waited. To the left, a tell tale swirl birthed from a swishing fin in the still gray pool. My muscles tensed with anticipation as I crept closer to the edge. Bubbles began to surface and soon up from the depths rose the glossy backside of the prey (ha! So dramatic- at it’s largest “trench” this puddle is a mere 5 feet deep).
He lay near the bank as my hands slowly surrounded him on all sides. With a single smooth motion, I ambushed him, grasping him tightly and pressing him down to the gooey bottom. My hands then shot to the surface hanging onto what I hoped was still a fish and not a fist full of mud. Ahhh, yes I has caught the rascal! There writhing in my hands was a 6” catfish coated in a gray clay paint.
No lie, we hopped into a pit of mud and spent a couple hours trying to catch 6 inch catfish with our bare hands.
We did our best to catch some catfish which became supper for our hosts. Here’s where the fish story of my life comes in. Out of the six fish in our bucket, yours truly was responsible for the catching of two! I’m guessing those Iowa farm roots had something to do with that.
Yeah, today was the most fun I've had here in Asia. . . .Sigh I don't know that I'll be able to leave this wonderful place.
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