Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
Earlier this month, I wrote about different types of Chinese New Year goodies including Nian Gao! Nian Gao is always one of my favourite foods during Chinese New Year. So this year I decided to make my own. After much research from various sites, I decided to use this recipe from my friend.
We all know how important it is to regularly clean your home, but it’s definitely much easier said than done. With the long hours that we spend in the office at work, as well as our other commitments and plans, it feels kind of impossible to find the time for some cleaning tasks, but it’s definitely worth getting into the habit of.
In my previous post, I mentioned about exhuming my grandfather and the contractors would then take his cleaned remains to the crematorium to get cremated. Do you know what usually happens next? This is solely based on my uncle and friend’s experiences. This is part of their Chinese ritual after cremation. It is solely for your reference. This procedure of bone picking does not apply to everyone around the world or for any other religions. Furthermore, each religion and country has their own rituals after cremation.
This year Qing Ming Festival/Tomb Sweeping fell on the 4th April 2024. It saddens me that yet again, I have not been able to pay my respects to my dad and my grandparents on this festival. There are a couple of reasons for this: my family are in Singapore so it takes some preparation to plan a long haul trip from Britain. Also, it is not easy to fly over due to school term and travel costs.
There’s a place in the very heart of Singapore, where little hands hold small spoons and big dreams sizzle on fire ranges. This is no ordinary classroom; it’s a gourmet paradise for the kids, famous world-over as Singapore’s best children cooking school.
Singapore takes on a magical quality as the holiday season approaches, exuding a delightful blend of tropical allure and joyous celebration. The Christmas Camp (https://maker.sg/christmas-camp), a well-known location for its joyous festivals, is located in the middle of this lively metropolis. Not any old destination, but a thrilling excursion that captures the essence of Christmas with a Singaporean twist just right.
If you are visiting South Korea for the first time, besides eating their delicious street foods and kimchi, you have to try out their barbecue at least once! Depending on what you order, it can be quite expensive, but it’s a great experience!
Whenever I visit Singapore with friends, I will often take them to Chinatown. Not only to get a feel for the vibe but also to visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.
Last month, I went back to Singapore and one of the first things I wanted to try was this food court style TaiWan Night Markets at Cineleisure Orchard. This is a Taiwanese street food concept that opened on the 28th July 2023. I hoped to bring back memories of visiting Taiwan (2016) 7 years ago and trying out their street foods.
If you head to any Chinese supermarket, you’re likely to find a range of different flavoured mochi in the fridge section. I love plain mochi without any filling, especially in pandan flavour. I tend not to buy the mochi with red bean paste or green bean (mung bean) paste or with the skin coated in coconut flakes.
I hadn’t heard of this taboo of never hanging clothing out overnight until I heard from Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories podcast. Some people believe that hanging clothing at night will attract wandering spirits to get attached to the clothing. It will cause us to have bad luck. I will list a few examples later in the post.
Buying your new home is a very proud moment for you and your family. It is likely one of the most expensive purchases you will make and therefore it’s a big deal for everyone involved. Many Chinese people observe or believe in several Chinese customs.
After we moved from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan, I often visited Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (光明山普觉禅寺) for praying and to bring me closer to Buddhism. I choose to believe in this religion not because of the influence of my parents. Nevertheless, my dad’s plaque is now situated at Kong Meng San, I have even more reasons to visit when I am back in Singapore.
Last month, I went back to Singapore to visit family and it had been ages since I last stepped foot in Marina Bay Sands. It must be 5 years ago when I went with my husband. A lot of my friends and family told me that I must visit Marina Bay Sands as they have so many things to eat and do. A particularly close friend of mine told me that it is her Saturday place to hang out with her family. So before we left for the UK, my sister took us there for dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine and we managed to squeeze in a few activities.
Since I moved to the UK, whenever I fly back to Singapore, my mum will remind me to give my thanks to the Goddess of the Seas Ma Zu. I always do as I’m told, but I have no idea who she is and why. This was quite embarrassing so I would like to use this opportunity to educate myself and of course, if you happened to travel to Singapore, suggest a visit to this historic temple Thian Hock Keng.
