Rose Apple And My Memory

The scorching hot weather nowadays in my country Malaysia prompted by El Nino since early January is expected to persist till March. Such weather will cause burning sensation even when the sun has taken over. In these circumstances, adequate water intake is very important so that the fluid in the body will be balanced.

Refreshing rose apple juice with calamansi.

We are fortunate that we have a variety of local fruits in my beloved country, which can serve as a refreshing healthy drink such as mangoes, papaya, pineapple, watermelon and many others. Likewise, there are some vegetables that can be used as drinks which could also serve as source to detox our body such as freshly prepared drinks like cucumber, carrot, celery appropriate mixed with lemon, lime or calamansi.

Rose apple with cucumber and calamansi detox juice.

This beautiful and perfect combination of fresh ingredients is sure to be able to give us freshness throughout the day. One of the local fruits that was my choice during childhood is the rose apple. Oh no, it's not as you might think, the name might mislead you but it is not related to rose and apple at all.

This is larger type of rose apple.

I'm not sure what went wrong, but perhaps due to erratic weather changes caused by natural phenomena or poor soil fertility, the mini rose apple is quite hard to find today. It seems to be increasingly hard to find past years, or perhaps the farmer are now more to focused only on the more profitable fruit, as the local rose apple do not last long once ripe and therefore deemed not viable.

This type of mini  Rose apple, during my childhood it can be easily found in ours or neighborhoods  backyard garden. And each season this plant is practically flourishing throughout my country.

Rose apple tree

Refreshing rose apple salad

My childhood favorite dipping sauce, black caramel sauce mix with sugar and slice chili.

This type of rose apple are commonly found in our local market.

Yellow Rose Apple

Rose Wax apple

There are various types of rose apple and can be found in many different colors. It can be eaten on its own when ripe or can also be varied according to our liking. Usually we will make the drink by adding a little sugar and lime or fruit salad or "Rojak" ( Malaysia Salad)

Simple and refreshing fruits salad with roasted ground peanuts, chia seeds and plum sauce.
Mix plum sauce with water and a bit of sugar to taste.

Cut rose apple, honey dew, guava, mango into julienne, slice the torch ginger thinly.

Mix the cut fruits with  roasted groundnuts, chia seeds and plum sauce before serving.

Incidentally rose apple keep special memories in my life. I would like to share it here as it just so happen to relate to my post, and no not to expect sympathy.

I was among those who were less fortunate. I did not get the love of my mother as I was given away when I was born, due to unforeseen circumstances my parents gave me away to another family. I was adopted and was brought up by my adopted family consist of grandma, uncles and aunties.

Even until today I have not seen how my father looks or where is he.......whether he is still alive or passed on. But even then, I am still thankful that I was brought into this world, was loved by my mother even for a while. Through this history I became a steadfast and strong person. I learned a lot about the life of what is around me, through the stories I've heard and from books that I read.

All drawings are compliments from my daughter.

One of the stories I have ever read and had a profound impact on my life is related to the rose apple and two animals who had been friends.

They are Squirrel and Tortoise. Squirrel is an animal that is very diligent, honest, loyal, kind and considerate to his companion, tortoise. While the tortoise seems to be quiet and not as active as his best friend, the squirrel, they were inseparable.

Every day the Tortoise will frolic in the river under the shade of rose apple tree. During the fruit season, the rose apple tree will bear fruit heavily.  The two best friends would have fun enjoying rose apple at it is very sweet and juicy. Even though Tortoise could  not climb the tree,  it was able to eat fresh fruit anytime because the Squirrel will drop only the best and freshest fruit to Tortoise. Yes, Squirrel could have enjoyed the fruits all by herself anytime but she never failed to wait for Tortoise with steadfast loyalty to enjoyed the fruits together. That's what the Squirrel did each day to her beloved friend.

It has become common in every relationship there comes a time that  friendships are put to test. In this story, the Tortoise is not as good and honest as the Squirrel. He has kept a bad feeling towards the Squirrels. Tortoise always took things for granted and then he started to get jealous of Squirrel abilities. For him Squirrel was just a tool to achieve something that he wants. There were times when Squirrel felt offended over some bad attitude shown by the Tortoise but she was not calculative.

Squirrel accepted Tortoise as who he was. To her every creature certainly has its imperfections. Nobody is perfect.

Unfortunately dissatisfaction by Tortoise towards the Squirrel never stopped. He not only wanted to use her but even want to hurt Squirrel continuously. But he was smart enough to hide his evil intentions. But it turned out that the evil heart cannot be hidden with a smile. Tortoise ultimately intended to eliminate the Squirrel for reasons that only he knows. Without the knowledge of honest Squirrel, Tortoise had planned something for her.

One day Tortoise looked very sad and sick, refused to eat the rose apple that Squirrel plucked for him. Squirrel was so worried and concerned towards Tortoise being not well.

Squirrel: What happen to you, my dear?
Tortoise: Oh, I'm very sick.
Squirrel: Is there anything I can help you? Is there any medicine that can cure your illness? Tell me my dear, I will certainly try to get it no matter what the challenges are. I will not let you alone in trouble.
Tortoise: Oh dear, its very kind of you but the medicine that I need can't be found here. It is just there on an island that is very far from here. I would not dare to go there alone.
Squirrel: Don't worry my dear, I'll go with you but oh, I can't swim.
Tortoise: It's ok, you can ride on my back.

The tortoise was very happy with the agreement of the Squirrel. Which by the way his evil intentions will be realized eventually. The Squirrel jumped on the back of Tortoise in no time without any prejudice. She was willing to risk her life for her beloved friend, and even brought some supplies stalk of rose apple in case Tortoises need along the way to the island.

So they travel thru the river and in the middle of the river, the Tortoise purposely submerse Squirrel in the water several times. Squirrel feel uneasy about what has been done by Tortoises against her. Furthermore she felt the journey was very far and took  too long. It adds to worry when Tortoise repeatedly stated "we are almost there" but there wasn't any island in front of them.

Squirrels finally had the courage to ask the Tortoise. "My friend, are you planning something against me? Are you hiding something from me? Please be frank, I am ready to listen and help you do my best."

The Tortoise pretend to be very sad. With a tone that was so choked he replied, "My dear..I would like to apologize for having deceived you. The truth is the medicine I was talking about does not exist in any island. The remedy for my illness actually can only be found in you.

Squirrel was shocked by the answer of Tortoise. There was fear in her heart. She suspected the bad intentions of Tortoise. But she had to pretend to be calm and asked Tortoise again, "What do you mean, my dear?"

Tortoise ostensible more sad. With a voice that faltered he said, "My friend ... please forgive me again. Actually ... my illness can only be cured if I...if I...if I eat your heart".

Squirrels almost fainted upon hearing what has been said by the Tortoise. She felt very sad. After all the love, trust and sacrifice that has been done to Tortoises, and this is how she is being treated by the Tortoise?

Somehow Squirrel finally got an idea. With a calm tone she told Tortoise. "My friend, why didn't you telling me the truth from the beginning?" 

Tortoise was so surprised and asked, "why oh my friend?"

"Because as we squirrels do not bring our hearts along when we leave our homes"
"What do you mean?" asked the Tortoise.
"Yes, I have left my heart at home. We had to go home to take my heart and give it as a cure to your illness, my friend"

Tortoise was silent but had to agree.
They finally turned back to take the Squirrel's heart that had been left at home. Tortoise cannot wait to eat his friend's heart because in the end Squirrel would get sick and die without her heart.

Squirrel jumping on branches of rose apple's tree and disappear in no time once they get to the riverbank, where they often play and eat together. Tortoise waited for quite some time.

After a long time Squirrel does not appear, Tortoise screamed for his friend. "My friend, where are you? Where is your heart that you have promised to me? You cannot let me wait a long time here! You know I'm not a patient person!!"

Squirrel finally emerged in between the leaves and rose apple. "I'm sorry I had to lie to you. I never leave my heart anywhere. My heart is always here!" - Said the Squirrel in sad tone, patting her chest then continued, "All these while I have been honest and very fond of you, I was willing to do anything for you, as long as you're happy, that's enough for me as a loyal friend. I could not believe what you have done to me, I totally did not expect that you will be so cruel. Is this the meaning of friendship for you? Are you willing to see me in pain and eventually die for the sake of your bad intention? You are so mean and heartless. From now on you're not my friend anymore. I bid farewell to you. We will never see each other again. Goodbye."

Tortoise felt very embarrassed and realized his bad deeds against Squirrel. He was very apologetic but it was too late. He has lost a very good friend who has been good to him over the years. Henceforth, he never again met Squirrel. He had lost his friendship with Squirrel forever.

Since then, the Tortoise was no longer be able to enjoy fresh rose apple, but only those rotten and smelly rose apples that fell into the river itself.

This is the story of two friends and a rose apple that has left a very deep impact on me. Here I learned the value of friendship. We do not need to expect a reward. Instead, we need honesty, loyalty and kind thought which are the key to guarantee a true friendship.

Have a nice week ahead, enjoy.

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch.

For those of you who have not cross the ocean to the tropics, maybe Malaysia or Singapore, let me bring it to you, in food form.
Savouring the culinary delights of the region....the chilli crab.

Purple crab

But first, there are more than 4000 species of crabs, and only recently, a new species of crab was discovered, in the Philippines Island of Palawan, the purple crab.
As it'll take me 6 years and 3 months to mention or write down all 4001 species of crabs, I'll just name the few popular delights craved by people all over.

 Ooops!

1/ One of the most popular to entertain your tummy as well your loved ones is the Alaskan King crab.

Alaska King crab.

Alaskan King Crab, also known as, "stone crab" are the biggest and most sought after crustacean in the world. Bring your credit card when buying this. King Crab are popular for their huge legs that are graciously loaded with meat and their large, tasty, and meaty claws.

Their preferred habitat is in the coldest waters in the world. King Crab is caught chiefly by commercial fisherman in various areas in the Pacific Ocean near Alaska...Bristol Bay, Norton Sound, St. Matthew Island and Pribilof Island's and the Kodiak Islands.

2/ The blue crab is so named because of its sapphire-tinted claws. Its shell, or carapace, is actually a mottled brownish color, and mature females have red highlights on the tips of their pincers.

Prized by humans for their sweet, tender meat, these wide-ranging, ten-legged crustaceans are among the most heavily harvested creatures on the planet.
Their scientific name, Callinectes sapidus, means "savory beautiful swimmer."

Blue crabs are found in brackish coastal lagoons and estuaries from Nova Scotia, through the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as Uruguay. Close relatives of the shrimp and lobster, these bottom-dwelling omnivores have a prickly disposition and are quick to use their sharp front pincers. Large males can reach 9 inches (23 centimeters) in shell width.

3/ King Crab: This giant crab is also often called "Alaskan King crab," "Japanese crab," and "Russian crab" due to its size, which can reach up to 25 pounds and measure up to 10 feet. It may be large, but only about one-fourth is edible, primarily the legs and claws. Only males are harvested. The delicately-flavored meat is snowy white with a bright red outer edge.

4/ Stone Crab: it is also called "moro" or "morro" crab. It has large, very hard claws that are prized for their meat. Most of the harvest comes from Florida, US, where it is a prized delicacy harvested from October 15 to May 15.

Only the claws are eaten, so fishermen twist off one claw from crabs and toss them back to grow a new one. Crabs will regenerate their claws within 18 months. They are left with one claw to defend themselves.

5/ The Dungeness crab is a highly prized sport and commercial shellfish well familiar to people living along North America's west coast.

This crab is one of the 35 true crabs living in Canada's Pacific waters. Its scientific name, Cancer magister, means "chief crab." Its common name, Dungeness, was inspired by the name of a fishing port near Puget Sound, Washington.

6/ European or German hairy crabs. Hairy crabs that once originated in China and went on to infest German waters are now returning to the mainland as edible delicacies.
Also known as Shanghai hairy crab, the Chinese mitten crab has been slowly disappearing in polluted Chinese waters, although they are still caught domestically and sold.

By contrast, the crabs are thriving in Europe, where they were introduced by traders during the Opium Wars. In Germany, the crabs are regarded as a menace and had been blamed for hunting local species and causing 80 million euros (HK$828 million) worth of damage to dams in 2012.

There's also the following crabs, ......but Confucius, he say, 'one picture tells thousand words'....so, you think, while I cook chilli crabs for you.

 Sheep crab

 Snow crab

Horseshoe crab

And......

Walking his dinner home......

Chilli Crab
2 large crabs
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
2 tbsp chilli paste
100 mls canola oil
1/2 bowl tomato ketchup
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
150 mls water
2  red chillies
3 bird eyes chillies ( optional )
1 tbsp cornflour  + 2 tbsp water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
chopped coriander leaves

My homemade chilli paste. Soak dried chillies in hot water until soft, discard the seed. Blend until very fine, add a little water and cook until boil for 5 mins. Keep stirring to prevent burn, cool completely and store in container and chill in fridge. Can use for any type of curry and  spicy cooking.

The battle is about to start.

Seasoning for crab
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp rum
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp sugar

Note: If you're afraid to handle live crab, you can put them in the freezer for 30 mins or until they have gone to sleep.

1/  Flip the crab over ( hard shell below ) on the chopping board. Use a tongs to hold the live crab and use a cleaver to removed the 2 large pincer claws. Be careful with your fingers, once he grabs a hold of you, he won't let go without a fight. 
2/  Stick your finger in the hole where the mouthpieces were and lift the crab body away from the shell (carapace.) Toss the carapace or save the carapace and clean out the entrails.
3/  Remove the flap away from the crab's belly and discard the grayish, pointy-shaped things on either side of the crab body. 

Kung fu fighting

4/ Remove any foam, entrails and  the internal organs
5/ Cut crab in half through body, then cut into two halves.
6/ Crack the claws with a mallet to allow the flavors to penetrate.

After the battle

7/  Season the crab with seasoning and keep aside for about 2 hours.
8/  Chopped the onion coarsely and mince the garlic.
9/  Removed the chilli seed and slice thinly.

10/ Combined  the 150mls water with tomato ketchup, vinegar, salt, sugar, red chillies and bird eyes chillies. Mixed well.

Fine! I'll just go....

11/ Steamed the crabs on high heat for 10 mins.

12/ Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
13/ Add the onion and garlic, fry until golden brown. Add the chilli paste and fry for 5 minutes.

14/ Add  the tomato puree mixture from step 10, cook the mixture in medium low heat until boil. Adjust the taste to your preference.

15/  Add the beaten egg and stir till well mix. Toss in the crab and simmer for 10 mins. Add corn flour mixture and mix well.

16/ Remove from heat, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Hey, buddy....till we meet again.

This dish is sweet, spicy and savoury.

The main trick of cooking delicious chilli crab is in it's gravy.

You can eat this dish with bread or french loaf.

If you love shellfish, you going to love this.

After lunch.......

Let's have some appetizer.

Refreshing and appetizing.....

Papaya Salad
1 ripe papaya
1 small bunch of coriander leaves
1 red chillies
1/4 in ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

Papaya tree

Just smelling the wonderful fragrant scent of he cinnamon can boost brain activity.

1/  Wash the papaya, peel of the skin. Cut into halve and scoop out the seed. Cut into bite size.
2/  Cut the coriander leaves.
3/  Slice the ginger thinly.
4/  Mixed all the ingredients together and chill in fridge till ready to serve.

After lunch......enjoy!

Unforgettable tangy sauce....

I'm glad it's not me in the pot. Enjoy the crabs and have a nice day.