a compact dose of sweet sugary goodness!

Foodie Friday 004

tapai pulut

Availability: local region-wide

That darn blackouts!

I've been struggling to pick what to highlight this week since I can't figure out for the life of me what is the English equivalent of this particular delicacy. Even more so is that its name cannot be translated as it is straight into English from Malay, just like nasi lemak shouldn't ever be called or related to "fat rice" or "fatty rice". My parents tell me it is called tapai pulut but this is certainly alcohol-free version of the original since I am quite certain that you can't find it anywhere else outside of Malaysia or the surrounding Peninsula at least ... there's a possibility of Indonesia serving it casually as well since most of the citizens here originated from there. I am half Jawa and Banjar, by the way. The original inhabitants are still here, we at least did not do a mass cleansing of them ... the Red Indians equivalent here is "Orang Asli", and I did went to one of their villages deep within Perak although I suffered a stupid accident on the way home, scarring my shoulder and my hands quite well, but that's a story for another day.

Going back to the food at hand, it is actually a simply sweet and yes simple delicacy, a rice-based and glucose-heavy desert that should be eaten in moderation (to me at least, it is too sweet to be eaten one after another like a doughnut or something). The grain used is probably rice or pulut (or glutinous rice) that is being soaked thoroughly in sugar water and being packaged in leaves that is synonymous with how other Malay dishes are being packaged i.e. nasi lemak. Its comparatively small portion should let you know that it certainly packs a punch as one serving would have its strong sugary sweetness lingers in your mouth for a certain amount of time that won't never be as long as you would have hoped after eating it. Since I can't find a viable place to buy this every week here in my neighbourhood, I have to buy it from a place an hour away and I buy them at least a half a dozen to sustain the whole week, having one daily while keeping the rest of them in cooled storage in the refrigerator. Just remember that there is always a chance of them turning bad in time so do not keep them for too long, and at least do not cross the one week threshold because I never dare to have waited for so long for it to turn sour on me in the end.

Truth be told, this is one of my favourite local deserts that I have to hold myself back from eating every week since the bottom line is that it's not good for my health, forcing myself to at least have a one week breather between the week of delicacies. It's just so delicious!

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a case for the diabetic-inducing desert:

+ Positives +

The quick rush of sweet goodness!

? Main contention ?

The uncertainty of the next batch ...

- Negatives -

The eventual realisation of the depleting stock in the fridge.

! Warning !

It can be quite addictive ... be warned!

j preferred way of eating f

A treat after a hearty meal to treat my sweet tooth ...

* sense of touch & taste *

The rice has turned soft as it is wet with the sugar, making the act of letting it rest on your tongue that much more satisfying as you let the sweetness seeps through your mouth ... ah, now I want another!

 <+> 

I think I made my point plenty of times already. 

RM

RM 80 cents a piece! Sure it increases after the recent GST, but that's still at an affordable price.

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P.S. Here is the address of my go-to source:
Warung Soto Pasir Penambang:
581,, Jalan 5, Kampung Ujong Permatang, 45000 Kuala Selangor, Selangor [Google Map]

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