The Teochew who Live by the Sea, Exploring Teochew Flavors for Heritage

The Teochew are not a minority in the Malaysian Chinese community. There are two places in Perak where there are particularly large numbers of people with the surname Ma, and they have one thing in common: they are all Teochew from the same original hometown in China. They congregate in two places, one is on Pangkor Island and the other is in Kuala Sepetang, Taiping. Kuala Sepetang is also known as the Ma’s Village, and there are many family members with the same surname Ma living in the village. When it comes to Teochew cuisine, the Sugarcane-smoked Duck in Kuala Sepetang is the hometown delicacy most missed by travelers in this area.

Sentiment of Han Jiang, In remembrance of the ancestors

The adage "wherever there is tide, there are Teochew people" has become particularly prevalent, suggesting that the fortunes of the Teochew people are closely linked to the sea. A considerable number of individuals bearing the Ma surname can be found on Pangkor Island and Taiping. A common characteristic unites them all: they are all Teochew from the same native land in China.

The Teochew are not a minority within the Malaysian Chinese community. Indeed, a review of the relevant data reveals that the Federated Teochew Associations of Malaysia has a total of 58 affiliated associations in 13 states within Malaysia. Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that in addition to the Teochew associations, there are numerous Han Jiang associations, the majority of which are located in North Malaysia.

Dr Toh Teong Chuan, Assistant Professor of Chinese at UTAR in Kampar, said in an interview with Our Native Land that when it comes to Han Jiang, one must mention the “Proclamation to the Crocodile” by Han Yu, the head of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties.

“Han Yu was demoted to Chaozhou in south-east China for less than eight months due to the court's offense at his petition entitled "Memorial on the Bones of the Buddha". In this document, he objected to the Tang Dynasty court spending vast sums of money on the worship of Buddha's bones. The river in Chaozhou bearing the name Han River is, in fact, known by another name in the Tang Dynasty or earlier, namely the Crocodile River.”

He went on to say that, as the name suggests, this river was infested with crocodiles and none of the officials who had come before had dealt with it. After Han Yu arrived, he dealt with the matter within the first month, and it is said that he then made a ceremony, that is, he wrote a prose "Proclamation to the Crocodile” and burned it to the crocodiles, and then that night the howling wind gusted.

"After it rained heavily, the Crocodile River dried up the next day, and after that, the crocodiles ran away because there was no water in the river, and since then the crocodile plague in Chaozhou was solved".

He observed that the people of Chaozhou province held Han Yu in high regard for another, more profound reason: his role in establishing the schools.

"He reopened the village schools, which had been in decline, to promote education. Although he only served in Chaozhou for about seven months, the cultural trend flourished again after his educational reforms.”

Han Yu, the head of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, bequeathed a priceless cultural legacy to the people of Chaozhou. Of greater significance, however, was the fact that he sowed the seeds of culture and education in their hearts, hence those who left Chaozhou to settle in Nanyang would always remember the importance of respecting teachers and the value of education.

Dragon Incense, a Craftmanship of Offering and Art

Hun Leng Heong Hang is the only handmade dragon incense factory in Matang. Many of the processes involved in making dragon incense, which is used in Taoist worship and prayers for blessings, must be done by hand and cannot be replaced by machines. Chen Yahan, the owner of Hun Leng Heong Hang, demonstrated how to "pinch the dragon's head" with great skill and speed. He did it with ease, pinching the dragon's head and nostrils as the people watched in awe.

Chen himself is Teochew, followed the master to learn the production of dragon incense, and has been doing it for more than 40 years since he was apprenticed to the master. He believes that there are no special requirements for learning this craft, only interest and patience. "One cannot do it without patience," he said.

"In the beginning, the body of the incense is made by adding water to wood powder and chaff and stirring it into the incense clay; the body has to be spread out layer by layer, dried in the sun and then spread out again and then sunned again. Then there is the pinching and molding of the shape of the dragon's head and other details, including the dragon's teeth, tongue, eyes, feet and so on. Then there is spray painting, coloring and other craft work. When the dragon's body is completely dry, all the accessories are integrated and assembled one by one before waiting for the incense sticks to dry".

Each of the steps described must be carried out with precision and speed; if the process is not executed correctly, the dragon incense is prone to drying out and cracking. The production of a small dragon incense typically takes between three and four months, while a large dragon incense may require between six and ten months, depending on the prevailing temperature and humidity conditions.

Teochew Cuisine that Transcends Its Origins: Sugarcane-smoked Duck

In Taiping Sepetang, locals are familiar with this unique dish, which is prepared using a method that involves smoking the duck in sugarcane. It is evident that this traditional dish has transcended its origins and is prepared by every family during Chinese New Year and festivals.

The duck meat is marinated for up to a day prior to smoking, during which time it is infused with the sweet, aromatic flavour of sugarcane bagasse. This process tenderizes the meat and imparts a delicate charred aroma to the skin. Furthermore, the duck meat possesses a sweet flavour reminiscent of sugarcane.

The practice of utilizing bagasse for the smoking of duck meat can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. The Chaoshan region is rich in sugarcane, and the juice of the sugarcane can be processed into sugar. Hence, the bagasse seems to be a waste if thrown away.

The Teochew ancestors thus conceived the idea of burning the bagasse to cook the duck, which proved to be an efficacious solution. The distinctive culinary tradition of Chaozhou is the result of the collective wisdom and frugality of the ancestors.

To this day, Sugarcane-smoked Duck remains a common culinary tradition in the Chaoshan region of China. It is said that there is Peking Duck in the north in China while there is Chaoshan Smoked Duck in the south. This suggests that the latter has an impressive status to the locals. This dish is not commonly seen in other regions of Malaysia, but it is nevertheless a popular culinary tradition in Kuala Sepetang, Taiping. It is a particularly favored dish among travelers returning home for the Chinese New Year.

Reposted in full from The Interview website

#万富 #继承传统