Dragon Fruit Honey Lemon Jelly Angku

Recipe created in June 2011

Angku is Hokkien for Red Tortoise. Tortoises in Chinese culture symbolizes long life. And red is always the colour for celebration. Full moon is always an important milestone for an infant. Back in those days, mortality rate is high, and to pass thieir first month is something worth celebrating about and of course, we wish the child to live long, like a tortoise. LOL

Turmeric Rice @ Pulut Kuning - Full Moon #3

I'm sure this is a true local practice for Full Moon. Not a Chinese way, but more of  Malaysian.

Here, there are a few foods used to celebrate full moon of the baby. Some serve or giveaway Pork Trotters in Vinegar, while some will prefer turmeric rice. If I'm not mistaken (pls correct me if I am wrong), the Malays use this for celebrations. For weddings, for giving thanks, for birthdays.. and sometimes shaped like a cake for the event. So, the Chinese who settled here took on the practice of using this to celebrate joyous occasions, specifically for Full Moon. Instead of serving this with rendang, the Chinese serves this with curry chicken. I cooked creamy curry chicken to go with mine.

Pickled Papaya - Full Moon # 2

One of the favs of full moon!!

Some look forward to pork trotters vinegar. Some look forward to turmeric rice with curry chicken. Some look forward to pickled young ginger. But most look forward to pickled papaya.

I guess pickled papaya is a local full moon fare. I don't think in China this is served. Do papayas grow there? I don't know, but it's like anywhere and everywhere here (besides in the concrete jungle of course). Throw some seeds onto the ground and few months later, you can pick papayas off the tree. They're one of the cheapest fruits around.

Pickled Young Ginger - Full Moon # 1

One of the must haves for Full Moon. The only ginger that my hubby likes. He is a ginger hater, but he loves pickled ginger.

It sounds easy to make pickled ginger. But it's not easy to make nice tasting pickled ginger. I've tasted quite a lot of not so nice ones before. Either too salty, too fiery, or not sourish enough or not enough sugar. One must be daring enough to put in vinegar and sugar. Not enough of either and the ginger taste somewhat off balanced. And the process is important too, and if not, the ginger will be too fiery.

Reuben's Full Moon Party

Today Reuben is a month old.

Full Moon of the new baby is celebrated by the Chinese community to mark the baby being one month old. Usually either food is given out in packs or a reception will be done either at home or at restaurants. Whatever it is, it is celebrated with joy and cheer.

Back in those days.. when infant mortality rate is high, to get to a month old, is something BIG. Nowadays, with immunization, formula milk and better medical facilities, the mortality rate has definately dropped. Nevertheless, it is still something to be really happy about and it marks the end of my confinement!!!

Woohoo!! Freedom. The freedom to wash hair everyday(not once every 3 days), the freedom to bathe as many times as I like per day(not once per day), the freedom to drink iced drinks, the freedom to eat chilled fruits, the freedom to go out anytime and feel the breeze anytime I like, BUT!!! I will be stuck at home with baby, losing sleep, losing time, losing mobility to go out alone. It's the beginning of a new responsibility when my confinement lady leaves the house. Chores and everything will be back in my hands.