RICE PORRIDGE AND FOOD FOR THE SOUL

She's only four years old at most, and already she's absolutely charming. As well as completely bi-lingual. A brilliant little stunner, in fact, though she doesn't know it. An adorable lively flashing-eyed moppet.
If I were five years old, I would want to know her.
Mostly because of her personality.
And zest for good food.
Joyousness.


The only table at which I could sit was near the back, just outside the kitchen. At the table ahead of me a mother and her little daughter were having lunch, which in the case of the mom meant something I could not see, because her back was toward me. But the little girl first enjoyed a small bowl of chou min, then looked overjoyed when some fresh sau yiuk cheung fan arrived from the kitchen. At that point her mom's phone rang. The child happily exclaimed "ah daddy, nei hou!" while mommy answered the call.

Because her mom took too long talking to Ah Daddy, the little girl started looking at the cheung fan in the most antsily anticipatory way. The mom indicated that she should go ahead and begin.
Slowly the child poured some si yau over the glistening mass. Looked at her mom. And separated a bit with her plastic fork. Without hurrying, and very sensuously she devoured small bits carefully forked off, savouring each slithery mouthful. At one point it was so good that she started singing softly to herself. Her mom continued talking on the phone while the child chewed. She did not eat greedily, clearly she wanted her mom to enjoy it too.

The kid had a mop of ravenblack hair, with that feathery quality which marks extreme youth. Rosy pink lips, and very definite eyelashes above warm peachy cheeks. Deep dark brown eyes, almost black.
Tiny hands, of course, that deftly and with practised ease wielded the fork over the plate of cheung fan.
She looked very soft, very fresh, and she had a lovely smile.
There was a chain of pearls around her neck.
Fake, no doubt, but very elegant.

After happily singing to her food, she ate some more, then went nearly catatonic from the soul-quieting deliciousness of it all. I have seldom seen that effect in others, though it happens to me fairly often when I'm enjoying something yummy. The mouth and tongue go into full alert, all other senses slow down, and the taste and texture impact with extraordinairy intensity.
Most people only get that with ice-cream, before the brain-freeze.
Or while slurping down silly parasol drinks.
And then passing out.

The woman finally stopped talking to her husband and began to eat. Happily, between the two of them, they finished off the very best plate of cheung fan on earth.


Because the kid was so intent on her food, she did not notice me observing her from one table away.

After finishing my jook and yau tiu, I filled up my pipe, downed my coffee and departed.

You know, I have no doubt that my lunch also was delicious.
But I didn't notice, being totally preoccupied.
The pipe, however, was excellent.
Life is very good.



WORDS AFTER ...

Chou min (粗麵): thick pushed wheatflour noodle, served cold with savoury toppings OR sweet and salty sauce. Also sometimes called laang fan (冷粉). At least I think that is what it was, not entirely sure.
Fresh sau yiuk cheung fan (瘦肉腸粉): rice dough sheets steamed with an inclusion of lean pork mince for flavour.
Si yau (豉油): soy sauce in Cantonese. In the north it is called 醬油 ('jeung yau') or 生抽 ('saang chau'). The best brand in the United States is Kikkoman (龜甲萬 'gwai gaap maan') from Japan, but many people also like Pearl River Bridge brand (珠江橋牌 'jiu gong kiu paai') from Canton.

Jook (粥): rice porridge, congee.
There are various kinds.

For your reference:

CONGEE 

鮑魚粥 ('baau yü juk'): abalone rice porridge.
鮑魚滑雞粥 ('baau yü kwat kai juk'): abalone and chicken rice porridge.
柴魚花生粥 ('chai-yü faa-sang juk'): dried fish and fried peanuts rice porridge.
猪肝粥 ('chyu gon juk'): pork liver rice porridge.
猪骨滚生粥 ('chyu gwat gwan saang juk'): pork bone poached rice porridge; a selection of fresh and dried mushrooms with ham cooked in a rice porridge made on a basis of pork broth.
豬紅粥 ('chyu hong juk'): rice porridge with cubes of gelled pig's blood ('blood pudding').
豬肚肉片粥 ('chyu tou yiuk pin juk'): pork liver, tripe, and fresh pork slices rice porridge.
豬潤粥 ('chyu yeun juk'): pig gloss jook, an alternative name for rice porridge with pork liver.
豬什粥 ('chyu sap juk'): pig whatevers jook; miscellaneous pork oddments rice porridge.
帶子粥 ('daai-ji juk'): "belt jook"; scallops porridge.
火鴨粥 ('fo ngaap juk'): rice porridge with roast duck.
滑雞粥 ( 'gwat kai juk'): chicken chunks (often bone-in) rice porridge.
虾粥 ('haa juk'): fresh shrimp and cilantro rice porridge.
香菇肉鬆粥 ('heung gu ngau song juk'): black mushrooms and pork floss rice porridge.
蠔豉瘦肉粥 ('ho si sau yiuk juk'): dried oysters and lean pork rice porridge.
海胆粥 ('hoi daam juk'): sea urchin rice porridge.
海產粥 ('hoi chaan juk'): mixed seafoods rice porridge; shrimp, clams or mussels, and squid.
海参粥 ('hoi saam juk'): sea cucumber rice porridge, made with dried holothurid.
海鮮粥 ('hoi sin juk'): mixed fresh seafood porridge.
雞球粥 ('kai kau juk'): chicken rice porridge.
羅漢粥 ('lo hon juk'): Arhat ("Luo Han") rice porridge; a luxurious vegetarian preparation made with carrots, bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms, wood ear, straw mushrooms, and white fungus.
牡蠣粥 ('maau lai juk'): fresh oysters rice porridge with pork and garlic.
銀耳粥 ('ngan yi juk'): white fungus rice porridge, mildly tonifying.
北菇雞球粥 ('pak gu kai kau juk'): black mushroom and chicken porridge.
皮蛋牛肉粥 ('pei dan ngau yiuk juk'):preserved egg and beef porridge.
皮蛋瘦肉粥 ('pei dan sau yiuk juk'): preserved egg and lean pork rice porridge.
三黄粥 ('saam wong juk'): three yellows porridge; soy bean, sweet potato, and millet gruel, served with a little golden sugar.
三元及第粥 ('saam yuen kap tai juk'): three candidate ranks rice porridge.
生滾蝦球粥 ('sang gwan ha kau juk'): jook with fresh shrimp cooked by the heat of the porridge.
生滾牛肉粥 ('sang gwan ngau yiuk juk'): rice porridge with sliced beef poached in the hot gloop.
生滾肉片粥 ('sang gwan yiuk pin juk'): jook with sliced pork cooked by the heat of the porridge.
蝦球帶子粥 ('sin haa daai-ji juk'): fresh shrimp and scallop porridge.
爽滑肉丸粥 ('song gwat yiuk yuen juk'): rice porridge with pork meat balls.
碎牛粥 ('sui ngau juk'): rice porridge with minced beef.
艇仔粥 ('teng jai juk'): small boat porridge, sampan congee.
田雞粥 ('tin kai juk'): fresh frog rice porridge.
窩蛋免治牛粥 ('wo dan min ji ngau juk'): "nested egg evading control cow congee"; minced beef and egg porridge.
魚片粥 ('yü pin juk'): fish curls rice porridge.
魚片豬紅粥 ('yü pin chyu hong juk'): sliced fish and blood pudding porridge.
魚片皮蛋粥 ('yü pin pei dan juk'): preserved egg and sliced fish porridge.
魚片瘦肉粥 ('yü pin sau yiuk juk'): sliced fish and pork porridge.

The most commonly offered types are preserved egg and lean pork porridge (皮蛋瘦肉粥 'pei dan sau yiuk juk'), abalone and chicken porridge (鮑魚滑雞粥 'baau yü kwat kai juk'), and sliced fish porridge (魚片粥 'yü pin juk'). These are all very satisfying.
A stick of airy fried dough (油條 'yau tiu') for dipping is customary, for extra good. Sometimes fried peanuts may be added.


The pipe tobacco was mostly rubbed-out medium Virginia flake, with equal amounts of plain Cavendish and and Red Ribbon added, plus a pinch of Perique for a touch of wickedness. The pipe was a Peterson, shape no. 312, made before I was born, with lovely refraction (折光) in the briar.

The experience was delightful



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