The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Venezuelan gastronomic festival to be held in KL

Posted: 09 Apr 2014 09:02 PM PDT

April 10, 2014

The Venezuelan Embassy will be organising a cultural and gastronomic festival titled the "Sounds and Flavours of Venezuela" in Kuala Lumpur, as the preamble of the 9th Venezuelan Week 2014.

Its Ambassador to Malaysia, Manuel Guzman, said the event which will be held on April 22 to 27, at the La Boca Latino Bar, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, will showcase Venezuelan food diversity and cultural richness of the South American country.

"We will offer a range of typical Venezuelan food such as the 'Pebellon Criollo', a traditional dish of exquisite combination of shredded beef, white rice and black beans and the 'Asado Caraqueno', a delicious staple food of Venezuelan cuisine made of beef coated with a sweet dark sauce filled with flavour and irresistible aroma," he said during a media conference, here today.

He said the gastronomic festival is a tribute to the unique food found in the village cafes, city neighbourhoods and shoreline seafood shacks of Venezuela.

Apart from that, the festival will feature Venezuelan dance and music all week long with live music on April 25 and 'Salsa Brava Night' on April 27.

Venezuelan strings duet, comprising 'cuatro' player Jorge Polanco and harpist Leonard Jacome will also be performing at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas on April 21. – Bernama, April 10, 2014.

Malacca’s kitchen of varied palates

Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:59 PM PDT

BY MELISSA DUIS
April 10, 2014

A must try when visiting the Portugese Settlement – the mango, fish and roe pickles, as well as a special concoction of Cincalok specific to the Malaccan Portuguese community. – April 10, 2014.Domestic tours may often be unfortunately perceived as less exciting than those to foreign lands, but the ancient Malacca always has its way of surprising the average sightseer, even one that is local to Malaysia. When an unplanned excursion to the Portuguese Settlement of Ujong Pasir, Malacca was added to the itinerary – much to the slight disarray of the day's tour guide – an unexpected chance awaited us.

Jerry and Christopher are two locals who manage the Portuguese Heritage Melaka Museum. – April 10, 2014.As we entered the Portuguese Settlement and approached the locals, two friendly men who managed the museum, and gave their first names as Jerry and Christopher duly rose to the occasion; for behind them, the Portuguese Heritage Melaka Museum had just caught our eye. Dainty from the outside but homey and charming on the inside, the marvellously modest doors of the museum were opened to us for what we thought would be an ordinary history lesson.

Upon entering, we were reconciled with the renowned crab which bore a cross on its shell, blessed by St. Francis Xavier, the Malaccan Portuguese forbade each other to dine on this said crab ever since that miraculous incident. More mementos caught our minds' eye but the most indelible mark was made by none other than a few simple home recipes of our Malaccan Portuguese hosts.

The Malaccan Portuguese culture is so amalgamated in nature that its provenance may very well be likened to a quilt passed down the hands of progenies from layers of generations. And along with that wealth of culture and history, their recipes have also taken interesting turns to tease the palates of many curious travellers then and now.

When we first arrived, our hosts forewarned us that we wouldn't leave without stopping by the food section and true to his word, after his 20 minute tour around the bonny museum, some attractively packaged jars and bottles caused us to stop a while before making our final exit.

We were treated to a brief explanation and curious sight of warm reds and oranges that were neatly tucked away in glass containers. Upon closer attention and inspection we learnt that these were 3 types of pickles and a special concoction of Cincalok specific to the Malaccan Portuguese community.

The three types of pickles were mango, fish and roe pickles coated in a rich hue of red that was reminiscent to another popular Malaccan dish – Devil's Curry. We walked away with one of each of the pickles and one bottle of Cincalok. Aside from a list of "how-to" on enjoying our purchases, our host also told us that their special mix of Cincalok was spiked with alcohol – a friendly warning to those who don't consume alcohol.

Home again, and this average Malaysian sightseer wastes no time in digging into her newly acquired possessions. Holding on to every word of our Malaccan Portuguese companions, I try every single pickle on steaming hot, white rice. And obediently, I prepare a full teaspoon of the Cincalok with one lime, one shallot and one big chilli.

Another recipe for the Cincalok is an omelette prepared as below:

Beat one egg with a teaspoon of Cincalok and fry with shallots.

The verdict: Fantabulous, scrumptious, sumptuous and bud-tantalizing. The pickles primarily have a sweet and sour flavour to them but have different degrees of acidity. Their flavours consistent with whether the main fodder is fish, roe or mango but one thing for sure is these pickles are bursting to the brim with seafood goodness. As for the Cincalok, its freshness and zest brings you as close as possible to a fisherman's feast.

For a place so entrenched in historical importance, it is commendable how the Portuguese Malaccans have held on so steadfastly to their ancestors' ways, down-to-earth and as pristine as any community can get in today's modern age and yet keeping fully abreast with today's know-how. I suppose at the end of the day, any good Portuguese Malaccan knows that to enjoy a good traditional meal is like reconciling past and present in one yummy sitting. – April 10, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Rabu, 9 April 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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