Diamond Candy Candies that sparkle as brightly as gems! ......
Traditional Candy An elderly lady was drying colourful candies, it turned out that she was responsible for making them. These candies came in different shapes and sizes such as stars, circles, squares and flowers. Some were shaped like roses complete with the most detailed petals. They sparkled like crystals beneath the sunlight. Granny: “Where do you come from?” FuFu: “Kuala Lumpur. These candies are special!” Granny: “Are you a student? Did you come here over your school holidays?” It amused me that the lady had mistaken me for a student. I told her that I had completed my studies a very long time ago. She graciously invited me into her home to have a closer look at her candies. These candies are called beleda kering or agar-agar kering. They are popular amongst kids during the Hari Raya after fasting for a month. These candies obtain their vibrant hues from both artificial and natural colourings. The bunga telang (butterfly pea flower) produces blue colour and pandan leaves green colour. Fruit extracts give these candies their distinct flavouring. Sometimes palm sugar is added to the sugar syrup, further enhancing their flavour. ...... Like diamonds, like gems These candies come in soft and hard versions. The soft ones are made of agar-agar, sugar and rock sugar whilst the hard ones are made of glucose and white sugar. Once the sugar syrup is prepared, colourings and fruit extracts are included into the mixture before they are poured into various moulds. They are placed on a tray upon becoming solid and left to sun or dry in a well-ventilated place until completely crystallised and hardened before finally being packaged into a jar. Making beleda kering is not complicated; the key is to ensure that the sugar is properly dissolved. As the temperature rises and the water evaporates, different concentrations influence how hard or soft the candies will turn out in the end. Be careful not to overcook and burn the sugar syrup! ...... My first candy My first memory of candies were ones from when I was a child. Whenever I had a scratchy or sore throat my mother would give me a Hacks drop. It would dissolve slowly in my mouth and provide some soothing and comfort to my throat. The original Hacks were black in colour and tasted bitter and spicy to me. Tears were shed whilst they melted in my mouth. Back then I didn’t know that these drops contained herbal extracts expressly to relieve coughs and sore throats. As a child I just recognised them as black candies packaged in red wrappers resembling tiny bombs. I don’t think any children enjoyed them as candies! ...... The story of candies There is a special place in my heart for candies because I grew up in a grocery store. Though that does not mean having free access to the candies despite my parents owning the store. My mother only allowed me candy as a reward only if and when I finished delivering goods to customers for her. Later, when I was old enough to man the cashier in the store, I would suggest rounding up a customer’s payment to make additional sales via candies instead of returning their 10 or 20 cents as change. Sometimes regular customers would catch up on neighbourhood news in the store. They would usually buy a bar of Sugus (fruit flavoured) candy as they chatted. It was really enjoyable to sit by them and listen to their chatter as they would also share the candy with me. Sugus was my favourite candy brand as a kid. Later on, when I studied in Japan I grew fond of their desserts and enjoyed many of their sweets as well. When I did my masters in Germany, I discovered my penchant for Haribo, their local brand of gummy candies. ......
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AuthorLam Ching Fu Archives
January 2024
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