FEASTING ON HARDSHIP

Lunch, lottery ticket, shopping, teatime, and buying bakchang. That last spur of the moment, because the dragon boat festival is coming up, this Saturday, the 31st. of May, 2025 (端午節 'tuen ng jit'). Bakchang (肉粽), known as 'jung' in Cantonese, are a traditional food (一種傳統食品) during 端午節。But that was not why I bought them. The person selling them spoke Mandarin. Usually the aunties selling 粽 speak either the hometown dialect or regular city speech. And they were more pointy than what I'm used to. So they might taste different.

Why not? Try 'em!

Oh yes, tradition and all of that. Tradition is very important. Cultural maintaining, transmitting, and continuing. Precisely why I eat at the same restaurant on Wednesday and have my tea and a pastry at the same bakery. Which is micro-level tradition.
It's important, AND a neurotic habit.

Besides, I like bakchang.

There's even a song about them in Hokkien (燒肉粽) which speaks of hardship, heart ache, suffering, endurance, and so forth. Everything that Hokkiens like to weep operatically about.
The Cantonese are different. Instead of lyrically moaning about all that, they'll cuss, swear, vituperate, and harangue up a storm. It's probably more effective, albeit just as theatrical. And why not buy these? No one selling them on the street is living well, they're doing it to make ends meet. An honest decent product, at a ridiculously low price.

Glutinous rice, fatty pork, a salted egg yolk, and either lok dau or faa sang.
Eat with a drizzle soy sauce, dollops sambal also can.

There's nothing high-fallutin' about such food.
But it has soul. It satisfies.

I'll probably have one tomorrow morning before picking up my refills.



==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================