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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.

A poem inspired.

Summer Lotus Apr 13  1 min read

By Rosalind Ho

Some businesses don’t get it.

Why does a particular cafe become so successful

It’s not the price, it’s not the location

It’s the ambiance that gives the experience

It’s the taste that gives the elation

It’s the people that give the joy

Based on these three factors,

You could be in the remotest corner,

Your customers will still seek you out.

I will be back!

A short story with a powerful moral lesson

Summer Lotus 2nd April 2021 2 min read

A noble and learned elderly teacher was due to retire in the coming days. His students wanted to learn more from him. One day, the class leader asked him if he could share with them the essence of living.

The old man paused and pondered. Then he said, “I am always struggling with this issue too.” After a few moments, he continued, “ There is an ongoing battle in my spirit. This war in me is waged between two creatures, one good and one bad.”

Puzzled, the class listened intently. The old man said, “We all have this war in us. The bad creature in me is full of fear, anger, sorrow, hate, greed, cruelty, false pride, self-pity, arrogance, lies, selfishness, and disloyalty. The good creature in me is full of joy, peace, love, hope, responsibility, modesty, kindness, truth, friendship, empathy, generosity, and faithfulness.”

After a pause, he continued, “This internal battle happens in all of us.”

The class fell into silence. Before long, one student asked, “Teacher, which creature won the battle?”

The old teacher replied, “The one that you feed more often, that creature wins.”

The message sank into the students’ minds. The good creature that you feed on a daily basis will emerge stronger and hence you will display his good characteristics. The choice is up to the individual.

Focus on the good to be a good person as far as possible. This is the essence of living.

This list is not exhaustive but very useful

Summer Lotus 1st April 2021 7 min read

What enthralls me about the English Language? It is the way the article is written or the way the speech is spoken. Sitting down and dissecting an essay or speech for its effectiveness uncovers many useful devices cleverly employed by the writer or the speaker.

I refer to the use of rhetorical or literary devices.

A rhetorical device is a technique where words are used in a certain way to evoke emotions, persuade or convey meaning. It comes across as stylish, memorable, and impactful. It holds the listener’s attention longer as his interest is piqued to want to know the whole story or the reader is thrilled by the way words are used and able to envision the story told.

Let’s examine popular rhetorical devices used in speeches by famous people.

Alliteration — This is the repetition of consonants or sounds at the beginning of two or more words. For example, ‘picture perfect. Though the words begin with a different consonant as in ‘Kids’ coats’ or ‘Cunning King’, they are alliterative. They should come in quick succession for maximum impact.

Alliteration makes a statement sounds more musical and memorable. It adds creativity, mood, and substance to descriptive prose more interesting. It is commonly employed in poetry to make it flow or even rhyme well.

For Example, in Edgar Allen Poe’s poem ‘The Raven’, he began with the musical line

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”

‘weak and weary’ is alliterative.

The ‘spectacular, setting sun’ certainly gives more alliterative impact than the ‘setting sun’.

An alliteration that comes in threes has the best impact.

2 Metaphor — -It is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that are not alike but have something in common. It directly refers to one thing by mentioning another.

For example, “she is the shining star of the class” means that she is the outstanding student of the class.

“They called him a walking encyclopedia” means that he is highly knowledgeable.

“Life is a roller-coaster” signifies the ups and downs of being alive. There are good times and bad times, happy and sad ones, and may be thrilling at times like a roller-coaster.

Note that metaphors compare without using the words ‘as’, ‘or’, ‘like’

Metaphors paint lively images in the brains of your listeners and readers and make the text comes alive.

3 Simile — It compares two different things like the metaphor but uses connecting words like ‘as’ or ‘like’. The thing that it is compared to may seem unrelated.

One famous Simile comes from the movie ‘Forrest Gump’ in which he said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”. Here, he compares life’s unpredictability to a box of chocolates in that one never knows its flavor until one bite into it.

Difference between Simile and Metaphor

For example, ‘Life is like a dream’ is a simile but ‘life is a dream’ is a metaphor.

4 Personification — -This is giving a word a human trait, making it comes alive like it can do what a human does.

For example, when Picasso said, “ Art washes away from the soul the dust of every day”, he personified the word ‘Art’ giving it power that can act like a human.

By looking at Art or dabbling in Art, it helps us dust away the fog that is the busyness of each day and one can really enjoy art as we see it.

Knowing art gives us clarity, peace, and awareness that is ultimate happiness for our well-being.

5 Hyperbole — -This is an exaggerated statement that makes something bigger or smaller than it is.

For example, it’s not uncommon to hear “This bag weighs a ton!”

When I first did public speaking, I could feel the eyes of the audience boring into me! This is a hyperbole statement to indicate my anxiety.

Hyperbole evokes strong feelings and impressions to make the idea stand out more.

6 Pun — A pun is a wordplay that may give the statement double meaning. This is a clever way to express a certain idea or situation and can bring a lot of humor to it. It can be a similar sound, spelling, or meaning.

For example, a joke went like this; What happened to the guy who sued over his missing luggage? Answer: He lost his case.

Shakespeare is well known for using puns.

In Romeo and Juliet, a morbid pun comes from a fatally-stabbed Mercutio, where grave means serious, but refers to his imminent death:

“Ask for me tomorrow, you shall find me a grave man.”

In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, The Raven, the narrator used a pun to good effect underlining the loneliness he felt encountering the raven who visited him;

“Other friends have flown before —
On the morrow, he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”

I used to have a photographic memory but never developed it.

6 Anaphora — -This is the strategy of repeating the words at the beginning of a speech to give emphasis.

For example, an excerpt of President Obama’s farewell address contained an anaphora as shown below;

“If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history…

If I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9–11

If I had told you that we would win marriage equality and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens.

Repetition in Anaphora is a reinforcement and is more impactful to the audience.

All good speakers invariably repeat their first lines for greater effect.

7 Oxymoron — -A statement that consists of words that contradict each other. It is an interesting description and adds color to your speech or writing.

Examples are ‘seriously funny, pretty ugly, awfully good, instant classic, and same difference.’

Difference between Oxymoron and a Paradox

A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself but contains an element of truth.

As in, “ She is persuasive but rude” is a paradox. These two different traits may exist together but not expected to be so.

8 Euphemism — -This is the use of words to replace something that otherwise sounds too harsh, negative, or unpleasant.

For example, people like to day, “He passed on”to replace “He died” to make it more gentle.

When someone loses a job, he may say, “ I am in transition” or “ I am in between jobs”. This certainly sounds more comfortable than declaring, “ I am jobless!”

“She is horizontally challenged” is used in place of “She is fat.”

9 Power of three — -There is magic in the number 3 for some inexplicable reason. As a result, effective communication often involving using three words such as adjectives to describe something as in “The room was dark, damp and dingy” to give a better mental vista of the place described than just “The room was dark.”

From Winston Churchill’s exhortation, “ Never, never, never give up” is still being quoted today by speakers.

The Power of Three also known as the Triad is an ubiquitous truth.

We see a speech being organized into Introduction, Body, and conclusion.

Three key points of speech are advised under each, more are elaborated.

Three letter acronyms are very popular in Singapore such as MOM, PAP, PIE, etc to stand for Ministry of Health, People’s Action Party, and Pan Island Expressway in that sequence. It sounds catchy and effective.

It seems that when delivered in threes, they sit well with the audience and make your delivery or messages more memorable.

10 Antithesis — This means the opposite. It is the use of two contrasting ideas to bring the message across more colorfully and vividly. It is an intelligent way to compare and contrast two concepts.

For Example, In Martin Luther’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, he employed a lot of antitheses for good effect.

He said, “We must learn to come together as brethren or perish together as fools”

“I hope that one day my children will be judged not by their skin color but by their character.”

King brought out two contrasting ideas in such a manner that they are highly quoted even today.

Quotable quotes are innumerable from Winston Churchill who was a master of satire ;

“ He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.”

“ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

“ We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”

Speakers and Writers invariably employ these literary devices to capture their audience and readers’ attention.

By doing so, their works would effectively impart their messages and leave a magical touch, and feel that is the beauty of the English language well executed.

Summer Lotus 28th March 2021 2 min read

A domestic story

There you laid, my beautiful girl,

an elegant black, contrasting well with the red flowers,

drawing the fine memories out of me

how elusive you have been for years

no one could find you in the day, even in the evenings

then suddenly in the late nights of the last months

you fussed at my door every evening

and tailed me to the food that I never refused you

though it was totally out of your character

but one day, a few weeks ago

you suddenly fell into a weak posture

your body bent and twisted, and one eye was glassy

and it led to subsequent nights of pain and wailing

which pained me as we figured how to best make you comfortable

and we found out that all you need were gentle strokes and you were quiet

prepared to join your brother, Yoda who passed on one week ago

finally laid to rest next to him in the garden

keeping us company and always with us in spirit.

A common insidious problem with huge impact

Summer Lotus 27th March 2021 3 min read

Gum recession is the movement of gum away from its natural level which is at the junction between the root and crown called cemento-enamel junction.

Problems associated with gum recession

1 Esthetic concern – the patient may have longer-looking teeth. If the lip is short or if there is a gummy smile, a tooth that is receded in the gums will present as a sore sight.

2 Sensitivity of teeth may result as roots are innervated (have nerve endings). The patient may feel a sharp stimulus when drinking hot or cold.

3 Food impaction – As gum shrinks, gaps that are unsightly are also food trap areas which may lead to tooth decay if not removed.

4 Speech affected – In severe gum recession, air may escape through the spaces resulting in embarrassment due to splatter of saliva and sounds escaping.

5 Teeth affected in other ways – As recession is accompanied by bone loss, the teeth would become mobile with time resulting in drifting, tilting, and overeruption.

_________

Generally, gums would recede exposing the roots with time. This comes with age as the bone resorbs slowly.

Factors accelerating gum recession

1 Wrong tooth brushing technique – scrubbing the teeth and gums hard and in a horizontal direction may cause the gums to shrink.

Gums should be brushed in a rotary manner with soft-bristled brushes. Biting surfaces of teeth may be scrubbed harder.

Patients with thin tissues are more susceptible to gum recession than those with thick gums.

Management – correct brushing technique ( can be seen on YouTube)

2 Teeth grinding – Also known as bruxism, the gnashing of teeth during sleep can be destructive to the teeth substance as well as the gums causing the latter to recede.

In addition, teeth ‘flex’ causing cut surfaces known as abfraction cavities which are wedged shapes.

Management – restore all root cavities and wear a night guard

3 Trauma – Any injury to the gums can cause them to shrink. The presence of unfavorable bite such as a Class 2 deep bite in which the lower teeth are biting on the inner gums of the upper teeth would cause gums to move away from repeated trauma.

Management — Remove the source of trauma. In the case of a poor bite, Orthodontic treatment will be required. The presence of a tongue piercing or lip stud may also cause injury to the soft tissues and may be best removed if they pose problems.

4 Presence of inflammation – Chronic plaque accumulation, tartar build-up also contribute to a lower level of gums.

Management — Regular scaling and polishing of teeth may prevent this. Anything that increases plaque retention such as the poor fit of crowns, rough restorative surfaces, ineffective cleaning, etc must be rectified. Regular visits to the dentist for check-ups and prophylaxis are advisable.

Surgical intervention may be required to improve the appearance of some teeth with receded gums. Procedures such as gum grafting may be indicated and are best treated by a periodontist.

Conclusion

Prevention is better than cure.

The knowledge that gums are delicate tissues and need proper care cannot be over-emphasized.

Oral health care involves regular and careful attention to teeth, bone, and gums. They in turn serve your general health and well-being.Summer Lotus

Interested in life, curious about everything. Challenge seeker, die-hard enthusiast. Just trying to get better each day.