Dumpling (Bak Chang)

Sigh, this year dumpling festival that was on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, I missed eating the dumpling (bak chang) that my sis-in-law make because I was sick for a whole week. Certainly was like doomsweek to me cause I dont fall sick easily. Sigh, must be a sign of old age (ha ha ha). I like the bak chang that my sis-in-law make not too oily, very different from those sold by vendors. Inside the bak chang has ingredients such as mushroom, chestnut, pork belly. Yummy. She also make the other type of dumpling called kee chang. This kee chang do not have any ingredients inside and you dip the kee chang with sugar and eat it.

Had to ask her for the recipe so that I can put in my blog so that I can share the recipe with my friends who are my loyal fans of my blog. (thank you all)

I included the origins of Dumpling Festival or Dragon Boat Festival so that my circle of overseas friends know what I am talking about.

The Story

Dumpling Festival (Duan Wu Jie) is also known as Dragon Boat Festival. It is celebrated in remembrance of Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who was a loyal official in the court of the Chu Kingdom in old China. Jealous of him, the other court officials schemed to frame him by telling lies about him in front of the fatuous emperor, resulting in Qu Yuan being banished from the court. Over the next 20 years, the Chu kingdom got weaker and feeling sad that his beloved country was controlled by another country, Qu Yuan decided to end his life by jumping into the river. Fishermen who heard that Qu Yuan drowned himself in the river set sail on boats to look for his body When they could not find it, they threw rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river so that the fish in the river would eat the rice instead of his body. Thus began the tradition of dragon boat races (creating a din to scare away the preying fish?) and eating rice dumplings on Duan Wu Jie. (source: http://www.can.com.sg)