Second generation "kuih bakul" maker maintains traditional method
KOTA BAHARU, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- "Nien Kao" or "kuih bakul" is a complementary food item, which the Chinese community makes in conjunction with Chinese New Year.
In keeping with the changing times, the process of making the cake has also changed, with the use of new technologies to help speed up production.
However, Lee Gee Ann, 73, still retains the traditional process of making "kuih bakul", especially packaging them using banana leaves.
"Many kuih bakul makers nowadays use plastic to pack kuih bakul, but I still maintain the old tradition of using banana leaves to maintain the original taste.
"It has proven to whet the appetite of customers because it is more aromatic as compared to using plastic," he told Bernama when met at his house in Kampung Cina near here today.
Lee, a second generation kuih bakul maker, said he started making kuih bakul as a teenager after learning the art from his late mother.
"The recipe and the method of making kuih bakul could be more than 100 years old as my late mother had been making them since I was still small. But, what is unique about this cake is that it is made only once a year during Chinese New Year, to avoid boredom on the part of consumers," he said.
He used about 40 kg of glutinous rice and 40 kg of sugar to make kuih bakul this festive season. The two ingredients are mixed together before being poured into an aluminium mould lined with banana leaves.
"Then I will steam it for almost 18 hours to ensure that it is really cooked, especially the inside," he said.
To facilitate buyers, he also makes kuih bakul of various sizes and sells them at RM12 a kg.
"Muslims, too, need not worry about eating this kuih bakul because I have hired three Malay women to make the cake while I only monitor the whole process," he said.
| « Kelubi fruit can generate lucrative income | | | R&D issues in commodity sector should be addressed intensively, says Bernard Dompok » |
