Archives for May 2021

Pandemic gave many of us unexpected opportunities to become better people.

Summer Lotus 26th May 2021 3 min read

When you are unhappy about events caused by the pandemic, don’t panic and don’t gripe. Do something positive with your life every day. Things will pan out accordingly and may be out of our control but at least we could alleviate them.

We need to be more productive and proactive when dealing with events in our lives. The pandemic has resulted in much distress and despair as we go about our lives overcoming unexpected obstacles at work and at home.

It is all a matter of perspective. When something is halted, we go around it. We attempt solutions we never tried before and find that it works. We start on new hobbies and discover our strengths. We have more moments of contemplation that allow ideas to blossom.

Years of the good life and innovations have released the brakes on living to the fullest. We have been chasing stuff without realizing that we do not need some of them. We gave in to feelings rather than practicality. We reacted rather than responded. The pandemic has quieted us down.

All because we failed to slow down and think. What do we want? What is a better option? How to live more effectively?

It takes a pandemic to make me realize the following;

1 If you want to achieve something, do it! Nike’s slogan ‘Just do it!’ has never been more relevant in these times. I am glad that I have done much traveling over the years. Those who have put off travel may currently feel trepidation with the anxieties and strained human relations that seem prevalent in many countries.

Where traveling is concerned, many turn to their own countries and got to know theirs better. I have never known my country, Singapore as much as now. She has indeed morphed over the years in her culture, people, food, and philosophy. In my own backyard, so to speak, I have become immensely enriched by exploring my Singapore in the past year.

So, do something instead of griping. Life is so full of surprises and absolutely enthralling. Explore, enroll and excel! If we have something we want to learn, to understand better, do it now. Much time is on our hands. Of course with safety measures in place.

2 That you need to become a more resourceful person. One skill is not enough, multiple skills are necessary, and try to be good in at least a few. They may seem unconnected but they do help each other.

During the pandemic, I learned about e-commerce and attended workshops to improve my creativity such as photoshop and photography as well as writing and reading. They may seem unrelated to me as a dentist and do not make me any money.

However, in the process, I discovered that I could write something( at least it was a start). I have created a clinical website for my dental practice as well as an e-commerce site where I learned about its function and that gave me an opportunity to create products for the market. It may be my passive income. My dabbling at some workshops also enables me to produce new and relevant images that have helped greatly for my postings. My brain has never felt better.

3 With time on my hands and everyone cocooned at home at some point during the lockdown, I discover personal peace through walks, yoga, and rest.

The time for contemplation is paramount. Most of us run after our goals each day and miss the fun of the journey. We realized that we needed to live more effectively and considerately without affecting our loved ones, our neighbors, and society in general.

Living in harmony with others, taking time to relate to each other, feeling happy because we achieve good health and not just wealth, and not forgetting that humor is a balm for daily stresses. This pandemic is a wake-up call.

The world will become a better place as we humans are intelligent. We will come up with amazing solutions once we know where we go wrong. The world will get better. It always does after a crisis and we have seen many crises that came and gone.

Keep looking up!

A short poetry

Summer Lotus May 15  1 min read

Oh, how do I resist thee!

I walked past and peeked into the showcase

Your numbers were consumed by half

I was consumed in my own way, by mixed feelings of greed, admiration, and hunger

Then I passed by you again half an hour later

The Patisserie is closed

I am relieved as it is a victory for me

Though not of self-volition

But now is one time, death to the power of temptation

Soon, I believe that I would be delivered from this compulsion to prove that the human spirit can be trained.

Know its origin, significance, recipe, secrets of the dish, cooking method, benefits and taste

Summer Lotus May 9 7 min read

Origin;

The “Hakka Abacus Seeds” Dish is a delicious and healthy yam (taro) dish. It is a traditional dish of the Hakka tribe in Dapu County, Guangdong province, celebrated and cheered by those who have sampled it.

It can be traced back to the Song Dynasty in ancient China made by rubbing taro and flour into the shape of abacus seeds. The abacus is smooth with a chewy texture and is fried with minced meat, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and other favorite vegetables. The abacus can be used as a staple food or a delicious snack.

Why is it called the Hakka Abacus Seeds dish?

The abacus is a simple instrument that was used during the earlier days in China. It consists of a frame that has rows of beads that are slid during calculations.

This dish has a physical resemblance to the abacus seeds of this device, hence its name. The Hakka tribe is a subgroup of the Han Chinese that originated from the Northern part of China but through a series of migrations settled in Southern China as well as various parts of the world.

According to records, Dapu county had little arable land. To survive, the men of the house would travel out to seek work. The wives would prepare Abacus seeds for their husbands, which symbolize good luck and the rolling of money back home. Later, it became an auspicious and indispensable dish to be served during festive occasions like Lunar New Year and Weddings.

My late father, who was a Mandarin teacher in Singapore, hailed from Dapu county to settle in Singapore in the 1930s as a young adult. As a child in the late 50s, I used to watch with curiosity as he clicked away at the abacus to calculate his bills. I had played with the abacus, intrigued by its noise but had not known about its use.

Significance;

The abacus device was used to count money in the old days. It came to symbolize the ability to do strict calculations and budgeting and so that the household or business would result in surplus year after year. This money talk related to the abacus probably led to stereotyping the Hakka people as a very stingy tribe but I like to think that Hakkas are frugal by virtue of their origin and culture and certainly extremely hardworking.

Abacus Seeds is an auspicious Hakka dish that my mother, also a Hakka who hailed from the Riau archipelago of Indonesia would cook during happy occasions, especially during every Lunar New Year.

As a true blue Hakka, I would not let this traditional dish fade away as it is not prevalent in restaurants and Hawker centers, and the cooks, in any case, are probably not Hakka (a minority race) to understand the significance and intricacies of cooking this dish. This cuisine requires skill and patience.

Today, at the age of 63, I seized the opportunity to learn it from my 80-year-old sister who excels in this dish.

At any rate, I had missed the opportunity to learn from my mum her renowned fried chicken recipe, Hakka style, which to this today, I am still being chided by my husband who swore by her recipe. I would not miss learning how to make abacus seeds.

Recipe;

The recipe for the Abacus Seeds dish is ubiquitous on the internet and easily available on Youtube. However, some modifications have been made to the dish by different people.

Traditionally, the recipe included steamed yam, tapioca flour, black fungus, minced pork, dried mushrooms, and the garnishes used are parsley, fried onion bits, and fried, dried shrimps. This dish is cooked in oil with garlic and seasoned with soya sauce and some chicken stock plus white pepper. A simple dish that requires skill and patience in handling and preparation.

There are intricacies involved in the making of this dish; It is the finer points that make the dish an exquisite one that I would like to expound on. Hakka Abacus seeds dish is a laborious one which accounts for it not frequently sold outside.

As they say, God is in the details. Those who want to make a delicious plate of abacus seeds would like to note;

Secrets to a tasty dish;

1 The yam must be of good quality at the outset. They are in season from August to November and knowing what a good yam is important. Yam should feel firm to touch with little to no cracks. The root should not have any soft or mushy spots.

2 Steamed yam must be mashed thoroughly when hot. To facilitate this, shred the yam instead of cutting it into pieces before steaming. A point to note is to wear gloves when skinning the yam as it may cause some itchiness to some people but is rare.

3 Yam should be kneaded with the tapioca flour with the hand when hot so some tolerance to heat is required. This is to enable the yam to be mashed easily and uniformly with the flour.

4 When the abacus seeds are cooked in boiling water, they would rise to the surface. Quickly remove them and place in normal room temperature water to cool and firm them up. Next, add some cooking oil in a bowl to contain them and gently stir to prevent the seeds from sticking together.

5 Attain a delicate balance of yam and flour in proportion as too much flour would mask the taste of yam and too little flour will make the yam less firm. This is the secret to attaining a delicate balance of having a fragrant yet smooth, chewy dish.

Cooking method;

Ingredients required-

– One whole Thai yam about 1.3kg

– 250g tapioca starch

– 8 pieces black fungus

– 8 dried shiitake mushrooms

– 100g dried shrimps

– 200g minced pork

-2 red sliced chilies

-3 sliced shallots

-3 minced cloves of garlic

-some sliced fried shallots, chopped parsley, and spring onions for garnishing.

-vegetable oil

Seasoning-

– 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

-1 tablespoon oyster sauce in half cup water (for those who are allergic, use one chicken stock in half cup water)

-1 tablespoon light soya sauce.

– white pepper to taste

Method;

1. Wash the dried shrimps, dry them, deep fry, and keep them aside.
2. Soak the fungus and the shiitake mushrooms, chopped into pieces, and set aside.
3. Peel and slice the yam and quarter.
4. Steam the yam for about 30 minutes until soft.
5. Transfer yam to a mixing bowl and mash the yam while hot.
6. Allow yam to cool slightly then gradually add the tapioca starch into it and knead.
7. Continue kneading into a fine dough that is not sticky to touch.
8. Dust the working top with tapioca starch, make a ball out of the dough, and shape it into a roll 2cm thick.
9. Cut into 2cm slices.
10. Roll each into a ball and gently depress the center. Prepare all the abacus seeds on a tray dusted with starch powder.
11. In boiling water, put the abacus seeds into the water and stir gently to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
12. Once cooked, they will rise to the surface. Scoop up with a metal sieve and put in a basin of water to cool it. This makes them more firm.
13. Put aside in a bowl, then add some vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking together.
14. In a hot wok, add vegetable oil and fry the garlic, shallots, till fragrant.
15. Add the minced pork, black fungus, and mushrooms and continue to stir fry, adding some seasoning. Add one tsp of sesame oil if desired.
16. Once cooked, add in the abacus seeds, add the chilies and stir for a minute or two. Do not over fry as they are already cooked.
17. Add the seasoning and adjust according to taste. You may want to add some hot water so that it is not too dry.
18. Serve hot and garnish with the dried shrimps, chopped parsley, fried sliced onions, and a dash of pepper.

Advantages of eating yam;

Yam is a highly nutritious vegetable and is rich in vitamins, fibers, and minerals. They include protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, carotene, niacin, vitamin C, B vitamins, saponins, and fluorine, etc.

Benefits;

1 enhance brain function.

2 ease menopause symptoms.

3 cancer-fighting properties.

4 reduce inflammation and increase immunity.

5 improve blood sugar.

6 rich in vitamins that can accelerate the metabolism useful in weight loss.

7 increase appetite and help digestion and work on diarrhea.

8 adjust the acid-base balance of the body, hence it is good for the skin and black hair.

People who are not suitable to eat yam or taro are those people with phlegm, itching problems, eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, diabetes, dyspepsia.

Some things to be cautioned about yam or taro.

1 Eating too much can cause bloating as it contains a lot of starch.

2 Raw taro is quite toxic so it must be fully cooked.

3 Raw taro juice may cause skin allergies.

Taste;

Yummy yam!

It was a weekend dinner time and everyone around the table expressed their satisfaction with this cuisine. Fragrant goodness of yam oozed as one chew into the succulent abacus seeds. In addition, the delicacy of the mushrooms and black fungus, and juicy mined meat swirl around the mouth. Dried shrimps added to the crunchiness, the smell was aromatic with chopped parsley and dried onion bits.

There is no love like good food such as the Hakka Abacus Seeds dish. This is a famous cultural dish of the Hakka people and we hope that it would become known as a special, tasty and healthy dish. From the Hakkas, there are many more culinary delights in tow.

These values stood me in good stead during hard times.

Summer Lotus 9th May 2021 6 min read

The world has changed. Maybe it is because people have gotten smarter, too smart for their own good. They know their rights, they want their rights and they assert their rights.

It is a common scenario these days; People do what they want to do even when they know it is wrong. Young people rebel and the age is getting earlier. A young child is given choices as to what food to eat even before he could read and refused the food he deemed not tasty enough.

Back in the sixties, the school, the police, parents, and the institutions are the authorities. Coming from a family of seven siblings in a modest household where my father was the sole breadwinner as a teacher, establishing order at home was very important. My mother had her hands full every day with the house chores and cooking.

I love the values my parents instilled in us — that of thrift, hard work, and simplicity in self.

On thrift, we were taught never to waste food and eat whatever is served on the table, not that there were many options. We always had rice with one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and some fried eggs. We never complained about inadequate food, having been rationed the same amount each day.

Every plate was finished, licked clean metaphorically. When I tried to impose this concept on my kids in the later years, even elaborating on the starvation that went on in Somalia(still going on today!)to get them to finish their meals to the last crumbs, one of my sons said, “ Mum, why don’t you post the balance to Somalia? I really can’t eat anymore”. That’s when I learned that I was not reasonable in that instance. I just have to cook less and save anyway.

Rich man’s food like roast chicken, large fried prawns, and steamed Marble Goby fish ( a delicacy in South East Asia) was reserved for the Lunar New Year’s eve. My parents saved money for that occasion. That long wait instilled in us the ability to delay gratification. It made us appreciate the aromatic season greatly.

The value of thrift never left us. Friends used to joke that it is because we are Hakka people, a minority ethnic sub-group of the Han Chinese in China who is hardworking and hardy and also ‘stingy’ though I would link the latter trait to survival instincts. Incidentally, our Founding Father, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is of mostly Hakka and Peranakan ancestry.

I used to go out with my eldest sister. Once, I treated her to gelato and she commented that it was the price of a whole chicken at the wet market. “Well, let me treat you to a whole chicken today”, I said

We could go to an upscale coffee house and halved the coffee and cake cost by sharing, not because we were stingy but we could savor the best and in just the right amounts.

The lack of pocket money when I was young also led me to develop a very good habit of not indulging in soft drinks in school. Instead, I took to the cooler to quench my thirst. I have not acquired a liking nor a craving for sweet drinks even when Coca-Cola’s advertisements were ubiquitous and a craze everywhere.

On hard work, my parents set the best examples. My mother toiled from morning to night and never complained one bit. She was up at 4 am to boil water, sweep and mop the floor. It was no mean feat with seven children running around, getting them ready for school. I don’t remember taking breakfast.

My dad was a teacher at a Mandarin-speaking school which was officially opened by LKY after the second World War. Father was an industrious teacher, reporting to school dutifully and he was loved by his students despite his discipline.

After school, he continued to do a side job which was calligraphy. He was skilled in this art, writing letters for others for a small fee to send to China and creating billboard names for most shops. Companies and shops in those days usually used billboards with Han Characters, some embossed in gold colors which they hang at the top of their entrances.

He worked late into the night so that my mother could put food on the table for the family. There was not much time for entertainment as we did not have a TV then. However, my parents brought the younger children including myself to places like Botanical Gardens, The Esplanade, Changi beach, etc where we need not spend too much money. But we were thrilled and happy.

My father carried a big ruler in the house as he did in class on errant students. He would unleash it on my playful brothers when their behaviors were out of control or they had not done their homework. One time, my sister broke her curfew during her outing and came back after midnight.

She was certainly not treated as a Cinderella. Instead of watching her shoes disappear, my father threw her trunk of clothes out of our second-story flat, which hit the tree trunk, then landed with the suitcase sprung opened and her clothes strewn on the grass. Today, he would be charged with killer-litter and domestic abuse but his discipline brought us all in line and never to break a promise.

My father expected all the children to study hard. There was the unspoken rule; study hard, get a good job, work hard, get married, have children, and live your own lives.

Most of my siblings started work after 10 years of schooling due to financial constraints. When it came to me who was the youngest, the barrel was understandably empty but my persistence trait from my parents saw me working a year and a half after college, and finally succeeded in getting a government bursary for my studies in dental school.

On simplicity in self, my mother was exemplary. She was a strong saver of whatever little money she received from my father. You can say that she could squeeze water out of stone. She was evidently skilled in budgeting, for, in the final days of both their lives, they left enough for their medical bills ( those days many people do not have health insurance), their funeral matters, and left money for their children!

My mother did not hanker for anything luxurious, carrying the same bag and having the same number of clothes over the years. All my sisters including myself must have inherited this trait, as we have no inclination to upgrade our wardrobes regularly, preferring to keep our clothes clean and neat, and buying stuff for a reason. I concede that such philosophy is of no help to burgeoning a slow economy.

That’s not to say that my parents are not loving. But they believe in order in the home above all else. The Chinese believe that you must first set your home in order before you can work effectively. And finally, you could rule the organization or even a country effectively.

These values are somewhat lacking in some families today. Young people have adopted a ‘use and throw’ mentality judging from the many handphone models that I witnessed in some people who kept changing handphones and devices.

People are said to be less hardy, living in the developed world that is Singapore. They quit at the slightest provocation or scolding from a senior.

In the past, air-conditioners were rare, tuition was unheard of ( at least to me), and having a job means dedication of long service to your company. Today, people cannot sleep without air-conditioners, tuition is a necessity for all children and the online gig economy is ever rising which is inevitable and evolving.

Expectations of parents on themselves to pamper their offsprings, sometimes expected by their children, are increasing due to smaller family units where there may be more disposable income.

Whatever the situation, the values of thrift, hard work, and simplicity in self should be advocated in the family. This stands the individual in good stead when hard times roll by and soon they would roll away.

Know its origin, significance, recipe, secrets to a tasty dish, cooking method, benefits and taste.

Origin;

The “Hakka Abacus Seeds” Dish is a delicious and healthy yam (taro) dish. It is a traditional dish of the Hakka tribe in Dapu County, Guangdong province, celebrated and cheered by those who have sampled it.

It can be traced back to the Song Dynasty in ancient China made by rubbing taro and flour into the shape of abacus seeds. The abacus is smooth with a chewy texture and is fried with minced meat, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and other favorite vegetables. The abacus can be used as a staple food or a delicious snack.

Why is it called the Hakka Abacus Seeds dish?

The abacus is a simple instrument used during the earlier days in China. It consists of a frame that has rows of beads that are slid during calculations.

This dish has a physical resemblance to the abacus seeds of this device, hence its name. The Hakka tribe is a subgroup of the Han Chinese that originated from the Northern part of China but through a series of migrations settled in Southern China as well as various parts of the world.

According to records, Dapu county had little arable land. To survive, the men of the house would travel out to seek work. The wives would prepare Abacus seeds for their husbands, which symbolize good luck and the rolling of money back home. Later, it became an auspicious and indispensable dish to be served during festive occasions like Lunar New Year and Weddings.

My late father, who was a Mandarin teacher in Singapore, hailed from Dapu county to settle in Singapore in the 1930s as a young adult. As a child in the late 50s, I used to watch with curiosity as he clicked away at the abacus to calculate his bills. I had played with the abacus, intrigued by its noise but had not known about its use.

Significance;

The abacus device was used to count money in the old days. It came to symbolize the ability to do strict calculations and budgeting and so that the household or business would result in surplus year after year. This money talk related to the abacus probably led to stereotyping the Hakka people as a very stingy tribe but I like to think that Hakkas are frugal by virtue of their origin and culture and certainly extremely hardworking.

Abacus Seeds is an auspicious Hakka dish that my mother, also a Hakka who hailed from the Riau archipelago of Indonesia would cook during happy occasions, especially during every Lunar New Year.

As a true blue Hakka, I would not let this traditional dish fade away as it is not prevalent in restaurants and Hawker centres, and the cooks, in any case, are probably not Hakka (a minority race) to understand the significance and intricacies of cooking this dish. This cuisine requires skill and patience.

Today, at the age of 63, I seized the opportunity to learn it from my 80-year-old sister who excels in this dish.

At any rate, I had missed the opportunity to learn from my mum her renowned fried chicken recipe, Hakka style, which to this today, I am still being chided by my husband who swore by her recipe. I would not miss learning how to make abacus seeds.

Recipe;

The recipe for the Abacus Seeds dish is ubiquitous on the internet and easily available on Youtube. However, some modifications have been made to the dish by different people.

Traditionally, the recipe included steamed yam, tapioca flour, black fungus, minced pork, dried mushrooms, and the garnishes used are parsley, fried onion bits, and fried, dried shrimps. This dish is cooked in oil with garlic and seasoned with soya sauce and some chicken stock plus white pepper. A simple dish that requires skill and patience in handling and preparation.

There are intricacies involved in the making of this dish; It is the finer points that make the dish an exquisite one that I would like to expound on. Hakka Abacus seeds dish is a laborious one which accounts for it not frequently sold outside.

As they say, God is in the details. Those who want to make a delicious plate of abacus seeds would like to note;

Important points;

1 The yam must be of good quality at the outset. They are in season from August to November and knowing what a good yam is important. Yam should feel firm to touch with little to no cracks. The root should not have any soft or mushy spots.

2 Steamed yam must be mashed thoroughly when hot. To facilitate this, shred the yam instead of cutting it into pieces before steaming. A point to note is to wear gloves when skinning the yam as it may cause some itchiness to some people but is rare.

3 Yam should be kneaded with the tapioca flour with the hand when hot so some tolerance to heat is required. This is to enable the yam to be mashed easily and uniformly with the flour.

4 When the abacus seeds are cooked in boiling water, they would rise to the surface. Quickly remove them and place in normal room temperature water to cool and firm them up. Next, add some cooking oil in a bowl to contain them and gently stir to prevent the seeds from sticking together.

5 Attain a delicate balance of yam and flour in proportion as too much flour would mask the taste of yam and too little flour will make the yam less firm. This is the secret to attaining a delicate balance of having a fragrant yet smooth, chewy dish.

Cooking method;

Ingredients required-

— One whole Thai yam about 1.3kg

— 250g tapioca starch

— 8 pieces black fungus

— 8 dried shiitake mushrooms

— 100g dried shrimps

— 200g minced pork

–2 red sliced chillies

–3 sliced shallots

–3 minced cloves of garlic

–some sliced fried shallots, chopped parsley and spring onions for garnishing.

–vegetable oil

Seasoning-

— 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

–1 tablespoon oyster sauce in half cup water (for those who are allergic, use one chicken stock in half cup water)

–1 tablespoon light soya sauce.

— white pepper to taste

Method;

1. Wash the dried shrimps, dry them, deep fry, and keep them aside.
2. Soak the fungus and the shiitake mushrooms, chopped into pieces, and set aside.
3. Peel and slice the yam and quarter.
4. Steam the yam for about 30 minutes until soft.
5. Transfer yam to a mixing bowl and mash the yam while hot.
6. Allow yam to cool slightly then gradually add the tapioca starch into it and knead.
7. Continue kneading into a fine dough that is not sticky to touch.
8. Dust the working top with tapioca starch, make a ball out of the dough, and shape it into a roll 2cm thick.
9. Cut into 2cm slices.
10. Roll each into a ball and gently depress the center. Prepare all the abacus seeds on a tray dusted with starch powder.
11. In boiling water, put the abacus seeds into the water and stir gently to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
12. Once cooked, they will rise to the surface. Scoop up with a metal sieve and put in a basin of water to cool it. This makes them more firm.
13. Put aside in a bowl, then add some vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking together.
14. In a hot wok, add vegetable oil and fry the garlic, shallots, till fragrant.
15. Add the minced pork, black fungus, and mushrooms and continue to stir fry, adding some seasoning. Add one tsp of sesame oil if desired.
16. Once cooked, add in the abacus seeds, add the chillies and stir for a minute or two. Do not over fry as they are already cooked.
17. Add the seasoning and adjust according to taste. You may want to add some hot water so that it is not too dry.
18. Serve hot and garnish with the dried shrimps, chopped parsley, fried sliced onions, and a dash of pepper.

Advantages of eating yam;

Yam is a highly nutritious vegetable and is rich in vitamins, fibers, and minerals. They include protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, carotene, niacin, vitamin C, B vitamins, saponins, and fluorine, etc.

Benefits;

1 enhance brain function.

2 ease menopause symptoms.

3 cancer-fighting properties.

4 reduce inflammation and increase immunity.

5 improve blood sugar.

6  rich in vitamins that can accelerate the metabolism useful in weight loss.

7 increase appetite and help digestion and work on diarrhea.

8  adjust the acid-base balance of the body, hence it is good for the skin and black hair.

People who are not suitable to eat yam or taro are those people with phlegm, itching problems, eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, diabetes, dyspepsia.

Some things to be cautioned about yam or taro.

1 Eating too much can cause bloating as it contains a lot of starch.

2 Raw taro is quite toxic so it must be fully cooked.

3 Raw taro juice may cause skin allergies.

Taste;

Yummy yam!

It was a weekend dinner time and everyone around the table expressed their satisfaction with this cuisine. Fragrant goodness of yam oozed as one chew into the succulent abacus seeds. In addition, the delicacy of the mushrooms and black fungus, and juicy mined meat swirl around the mouth. Dried shrimps added to the crunchiness, the smell was aromatic with chopped parsley and dried onion bits.

There is no love like good food such as the Hakka Abacus Seeds dish. This is famous cultural dish of the Hakka people and we hope that it would become known as a special, tasty and healthy dish. From the Hakkas, there are many more culinary delights in tow.