fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2404 ]

[ SECRET POST #2404 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2404 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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03.

[League of Legends]

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04.

[Fuck City crew]

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[Jon Richardson, British comedian]

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[ ----- SPOILERY SECRETS AHEAD ----- ]

09. [SPOILERS for Sailor Moon]

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[ ----- TRIGGERY SECRETS AHEAD ----- ]

10. [SPOILERS for the Godfather]
[WARNING for gore, animal abuse]

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11. [SPOILERS for Hannibal]
[WARNING for abuse, gore]

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12. [WARNING for eating disorders]

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13. [WARNING for underage]
http://i.imgur.com/J2FVb1W.png
[linked for photomanip of snape/hermione]

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14. [WARNING for torture? probably?]

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 000 secrets from Secret Submission Post #343.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 2 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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(As always, open the images in New Tab to see them in full glory!)

Now before we indulge in the pleasures of the eyes, a little bit of context for those not in the know.

Ramadhan is the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar year. In this period of time, all Muslims are encouraged to fast from sunrise to sunset, eating only when it’s dark until dawn, in which we fast for another day. This time of fasting is obligatory among all Muslims (or at least, those who are old enough past puberty, not sick and –for women– not menstruating) and it is considered one of the five pillars of Islam.

Now, whenever the fasting month falls there are usually some traditions that will be enacted among some majority Muslim countries, and Malaysia is one among them. Over here, the coming of Ramadhan is seen among the locals as “FOOD BAZAAR!!” and everyone regardless of faith or ethnicity (thank you history!) will partake in this consumption at least once over the whole month.

Which brings me to…

THE RAMADHAN BAZAAR!!

When I was younger, my family and I lived close to this stretch of road that – during Ramadhan – would fill up to the brim with stalls serving food and drink that can be found in abundance only in this period of time. There are many other food bazaars that would spring up all over the country, but this is the one that sticks most close to me. I have now moved away from the area a couple of years back but when the fasting month comes, I would brave through the traffic jams just to savour the treats here again!

This food bazaar opens from about 4 pm to about 7 pm in the evening and this coincides with the nearby schools’ end of lessons, so seeing a group of teenagers in school dresses looking at the meals is not considered an eyeberow-raiser here. Also, because the country is multicultural, the bazaar is visited by everyone around here, whether they are Chinese, Hindu, Arab, Malay, I even saw a Caucasian woman browsing along here once!

This was sold at the very first stall of the road, which was surprisingly the last stall I encountered due to me entering the market from the back as a result of no parking space (WHHYYYY!!?). These treats are made from crab-meat, tofu and some other meats and doughs and then skewered on sticks of bamboo. After picking your selection, the stall owner would then fry these things in oil before serving it to you, piping hot. I haven’t tasted any it yet, but…

Anyone who can make deep-fried Angry Birds gets an immediate thumbs up from me!

This stall serves a large amount of wet popiah, a traditional Chinese dish that has been assimilated into the country. It is usually made by preparing a roll of dough made from wheat flour, then “rubbing” it against a hot plate to let some of it stick to said plate. The filling is mostly made up of vegetables such as bean sprouts or lettuce leaves, although there can be the occasional Popiah that is stuffed with crabmeat. The signage says that five of these goodies are sold for 4.00 Ringgit, which is about a Dollar and twenty-three cents, according to Google-Fu.

These bizarre-looking treats are actually fried potatoes, cut to their spiral shape using a hand-cranked machine and then frying it to the delight of schoolchildren. I’ve had a taste of this down in Malacca a few months ago and, suffice to say, my stomach readily accepts the treat with fervour. After frying it, the buyer has a choice of deciding which topping to drizzle over the treat whether it is barbecue, sour cream and onion or something else entirely. If you don’t like anything spicy, I suggest you tell the seller to not drizzle anything that has chillies in them.

Ahh … the usual Malaysian buffet, an absolute must in every Ramadhan bazaar. Usually when we Malays congregate around a place for celebration or just buying stuff, there is a 99.99% chance that this sort of buffet would be stewing nearby. Cooks would stir up some meat and fish in sauces and spices of many descriptions and flavours as well as some Gulai to complete the whole set. Buyers would then pick among the cooked trays which combination of meat and veggies and stews to buy from and the seller will judge the price according to the portions the buyers want. As you can expect, there is a lot of haggling to be done if one does not consider the price to be fair.

(BTW: Gulai is impossibly hard to describe and talk about even among locals –no thanks to its diversity– so I’m just going to place a Wikipedia link for all you foodie lovers to read about.)

Writer’s note: To anyone who’s thinking of eating one of these, DO IT. I COMMAND YOU.

Joking aside, these treats are known among locals as Curry Puffs, or more commonly known as Karipap and they sound just as delicious as their names, which is to say, VERY. These treats are made by preparing a very dry curry for the filling and preparing the ‘Puff’ pastry from flour, butter and eggs (with a pinch of baking soda depending on your tastes). After that, it’s just a matter of what type of curry does the seller put in and how long has the completed puff been deep-fried.

I’ve been eating Curry Puffs for several days non-stop now when I break my fasts and I heartily recommend the average Non-Malaysian to take a bite out of it. As for vegetarians, have no worries! They also serve vegetarian curry puffs in the Ramadhan Bazaar. From the photo, right to left in order, there are Beef Curry Puffs, Chicken Curry Puffs, Potato Curry Puffs and Sardine Curry Puffs, all sold for the price of 31 U.S cents. (No compensation if you chose the wrong one for a snack)

Another must have if you are a travelling foodie lover, the Murtabak! This dish comes from the faraway lands of Arabia and sources pertaining to the dish’s arrival on our shores have been lost to mists of time. The dish is made from a savory pancake mix that is layered upon itself again and again. Minced mutton, garlic, eggs and onions are added in-between the folds. In fact, the Murtabak’s original name, Mutabbaq means “folded” in Arabic. The ones usually served in this Ramadhan Bazaar come with a dipping sauce made from picked onions alongside with some curry for those too unfamiliar with the former. As for me, give me the pickled onions any day!

Also, if the stall is really popular, then you might want to invest in a phone game or a book because some of the stalls selling these would have lines stretching to the bazaar’s entrance!

And here’s another popular South-East Asian speciality, the Putu Piring. I have no idea how this translates to in Malay so I’m just going to use the term as is for this comment (I know ‘Piring’ translates to ‘Plate’ but that’s just it). This peculiar snack is made by mixing rice flour into a small cake-disk surrounding a center of palm sugar. After that, the cake is wrapped with a damp muslin cloth and then steamed over a steaming spout for about a few minutes, after which it will be removed and uncovered, ready to be eaten hot or cold. Here’s a YouTube video showing how it’s done. Hope you all are not perturbed by the language!

As you can guess, this whole thing relies on the steaming-spout machine to work. However, there is more than one way to make a palm sugar rice cake…

This is a variant of the Putu Piring, the Putu Bamboo or the Putu Buluh. In this variant, the rice flour and palm sugar are packed into a hollow bamboo stem and then steamed for a few minutes before the seller pushes the tender cake out using a clean stick. The filled cakes on the table are already cooked but are still too hot to be piped out yet by hand, so they were left to cool in the evening air, waiting to catch the eye of a curious hungry customer…

If you manage to find a variant of this or the real deal being sold in your neighbourhood, GET SOME. They are surprisingly filling for being so small…

Another staple of the Malaysian bazaar are traditional gelatinous cakes, made out of rice flour and coconut milk and infused with flavours and colours befitting a garish dessert table. These cakes are made with rice flour and infusions of local flavours such as Pandan for green, banana for the yellow and special local syrups for the red and pink-black. The rest are made out of combinations of local flavours and some are even made using modern ingredients like Milo or Coffee! Regardless, the only thing you have to do to savour these treats is to ask the seller what the flavours are…

Ahh, this is something I never thought I’d see, a cooked Ketupat already stuffed full with gelatinous rice. For us Muslims, the end of Ramadhan is celebrated with a festival known as Id-Ul-Fitr, or Ai-dil-fit-ri to us Malays. When this time arrives, some Malays (including my family) will cook gelatinous rice cakes inside small woven containers made from long leaves. These leaves are procured either naturally or by buying some from a village market. Then, they will be woven by skilled hands into a small sort-of pouch in which rice would be poured in. Then, the Ketupat would be submerged into a boiling pot of water and would stew until the rice expands to fill the entire pouch, turning into a rice cake.

My family and I still weave them during the Aidilfitri celebrations, but don’t expect a perfect beautiful decoration from me anytime soon. I’m still… learning the ropes (I suck).

I think I have already expressed my love for Roti Jala a few times already here at Fandom Secrets, and during Ramadhan you can be sure to find at least one Roti Jala stall in any Ramadhan bazaar. Roti Jala literally means “Net Bread” in Malay and the dish is usually made with the mixing of some flour, milk, water, salt, turmeric powder and butter to grease the frying pan. The mixture is extruded through a special mould made up of small holes, turning the pouring mixture into individual strands which cooks upon contact with the pan’s hot surface and giving the “Net Bread” its signature shape. We usually eat this with curry.

Understandably, due to the mould’s strange shape I’m pretty sure that it’s not sold anywhere in the West. Just in case though, if you spot anything like this in your neighbourhood store, then you might be able to enjoy this recipe just yet! Also, you may need to read this.

And what is food without its drinks!? Over here in the bazaar, there are entire stalls catering to drinks made from almost every local and regional fruits such as Lychees, Watermelons,Mata Kuching (Cat’s Eyes), Asam Boi (Chinese Plums) and even Chrysanthemum flowers!! Also, you may notice the “ABC Bandung” Juice with the sickly pink colour, that’s milk flavoured with rose cordial syrup. The taste is… strange, I have to admit; but there are some Ramadhan shoppers who ask for entire bags of the stuff! Also, it has absolutely no relation to the city of Bandung in Indonesia. According to Wikipedia, the drink is not even sold there!

A word of warning: Although most of the foods here are safe to consume being cooked on the spot, the drinks are… another matter entirely. Don’t get me wrong, some of the drinks here are fresh and delicious, but I have had upset stomachs twice by drinking the stuff from the plastic bags!

Also, you may be noticing some clear containers on top of the first drinks picture full to the brim with what appears to be strange white-black stuff…

That is Tau Fu Fa and it’s just basically tofu mixed with brown sugar water. For some strange reason though, a lot of people actually like this combination of things, including my older sister.

And speaking of strange drinks and foods…

…Anyone up for some bottled sugarcane?

Another sight at a Ramadhan bazaar, sugarcane has been a staple snack drink among Malaysians for decades, whether it is fasting month or not. In this bazaar, the sellers would procure pure sugarcane juice by literally squeezing the stem through a machine and collecting the juice out. I’m serious.

There is a good reason why I have never been a fan of this juice.

And lastly, no Ramadhan bazaar is complete without some pastry snacks!

Cookies and pastries are a must in every house during Ramadhan! Made from butter and flour with a little bit –or a lot– of sugar, these treats are sure to enliven up a family visit or serious discussion! Besides that, those brown crackers placed on greasy oil paper in the first picture? Those are local fish and prawn crackers made from flour and butter and they are highly sought after by everyone, especially the ones that are made at the East Coast.

Of course, if the average buyer wants something a little bit more traditional…

…That can be arranged. (I have no idea whether this is a Nangka or a Cempedak, but the mere fact that they are selling these, and fried ones too at the background, must deserve a mention here!)

…And that’s it then, a comprehensive description of the things sold at a Ramadhan bazaar. There were many more foods and drinks that lined the stalls on the road that day, but I’m sorry to say that I can’t capture everything I see. I hope that you enjoyed this colourful gastronomic journey and it is my greatest wish that I will see you all soon.

It started with skewers, and so it will end with skewers.

Goodbye… and thank you.

BONUS PICTURES

River snail stew, anyone? My parents actually ate this when I was younger, sucking the snails right out from their shells!

A little something for myself…

…And another lil’ something for myself. They actually sell Apple Pie at the bazaar!

OM NOM NOM.

Edited 2013-08-02 23:07 (UTC)

"For some strange reason though, a lot of people actually like this combination of things, including my older sister."

Hey, man, over here we call that taho and it's delicious like damn.

Huh, never noticed The Phillipines has the same thing. To me though, I'm not a fan.

You couldn't have waited until the comments collapsed?

I realized my mistake when I finally had a comment. Sorry!

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

(Anonymous) - 2013-08-02 23:18 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

al28894 - 2013-08-02 23:21 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

(Anonymous) - 2013-08-02 23:29 (UTC) - Expand

...Aaaaaand you just made me realize that I'm really freakin' hungry! XD Everything looks tasty.

I've always found the bagged drinks really interesting! It's just so different from what I'm used to.

Lemme guess, they don't sell drinks in bags where you come from?

And as for the tastiness, at least you're not fasting.

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

starphotographs - 2013-08-02 23:33 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

al28894 - 2013-08-02 23:40 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

starphotographs - 2013-08-02 23:48 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

al28894 - 2013-08-02 23:50 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

starphotographs - 2013-08-02 23:57 (UTC) - Expand

I love your posts. And I want to try all the things! (That is a blatant lie. But sounds better than trying a high percentage of the things.) Someday I plan on getting around to your neck of the woods. Someday...

Well, there is an F!S'er from Canada who's currently holidaying in Malaysia at the moment, so who knows? Maybe someday in the future you'll might be able to savor all of these treats!

Thank you very much! This was very informative and mouth-watering! This is so different from the Ramadhan foods I see around my parts, I love learning about other cultures and customs!

About the sugar cane juice: I'm not surprisedThat's how you do rum - once it's fermented, of course. I guess that way you can have some of the taste with none of the alcohol? Unless it's very syrupy and too sweet to enjoy?

Well, to me it tastes kinda weird, as if someone has mixed sugar and grass and a few bits of strange-tasting stuff into some sort of noxious concoction. I haven't drunk any sugarcane juice ever since I was a child, so I don't know how it's tastes like now, but I'm still staying away from it, all the same.

Also, you're welcome. :)

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

(Anonymous) - 2013-08-02 23:35 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

oroburos69 - 2013-08-03 06:31 (UTC) - Expand

The sweets look so good *___* I'd love to try a Curry Puff. They look so tasty. I feel hungry all of a sudden...

I always like learning about food from different cultures, so thanks for sharing :D

Eat something first, it'll do wonders for viewing pleasure. XD

You're welcome!

Man, I just ate and now I'm hungry again! Thanks for all the cool pics!

I used to think Texas was crazy about deep-frying, but seeing those deep-fried Angry Birds has reassured me greatly. That just cracks me up. XD

You're welcome!

Nah, we still think you guys are the king of deep-frying. I mean, where else in the world can you find deep-fried butter?

Deep fried angry birds is cracking me up. This all looks so delicious! Well...not ALL of it, but I'm a picky eater so that isn't surprising. Anyway, thank you for sharing these; you reminded me to eat dinner. :p (Wish I could've had some of that brightly colored cake as dessert! Bawwwwww.)

As a picky eater myself, I can say that most of these things are absolutely delicious or at the very least filling.

As for the brightly colored cake, allow me to somewhat make your craving even better/worse by giving you this.

I read this when I first got home and hadn't eaten yet! It made me want to reach through the screen and taste everything, even when I didn't know what it was. I went and made some dinner and came back to re-enjoy this post now that I'm not starving. :)

Now I feel like I should grab a camera and take pictures of all the Stuff-on-a-Stick at the state fair or the renaissance festival.

Yay for making dinner and then enjoying it while reading this! Be careful though, some of the foods might make a bad hit on your stomach if you're not careful enough.

I'm so glad I ate right before reading this. Everything (except for the snail stew D:) looks and sounds delicious!

They are, aren't they? :)

And my mother and father swears that the snails are river snails and that they taste better than they look. As for me, I don't care who say's it but I'm not going near a dish piled high with them.

So hungry now! Thank you so much for posting! Very educational, and though I am American, my parents are immigrants from Thailand so some of the food was pretty familiar and made me wish I could ask my mom to make me some food to eat. XD

Ask your mother and father if they still know any childhood recipes from their past! I hope you'll be able to get some tasteful information about their family's cooking and recipes!

Awesome post, thank you! ;D

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

al28894 - 2013-08-03 12:23 (UTC) - Expand

Don't read this comment until dusk! I'm not THAT mean. :P

Okay, I have GOT to find one of these! I've seen those curry puffs at dusk along the road I'm living on, so yeeees, I'm getting some of that. They had fritters too--can't wait to try!

I had Ice Floss in a mall in Georgetown last week too, and I'm not sure if it's in your neck of the woods, but if you see some I HEARTILY recommend it! From Japan, but mmmm, so good.

I've been eating so much roti and curry, and trying to hunt down some good chicken rice. We tried Laska last night, and it was delicious! It had these little chunks of pineapple in it, and they were so good, Al.

Still haven't found cendal again. This is really disappointing, so I consoled myself with Tandoori chicken and naan. And pancakes. Malaysian cinnamon is soooo much better than the stuff we get in Canada. So fresh...

Re: Grated coconut!! Rose syrup!! A typical Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia.

al28894 - 2013-08-03 12:33 (UTC) - Expand

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