I Miss Bazaar Ramadhan - A Malaysian culture during Ramadhan

(Image: calendarlabs.com)

When our Prime Minister announced that the MCO (Movement Control Order) will be extended week by week until it reached the fasting month, I know that for this year, unfortunately, there will be no Bazaar Ramadhan to be opened like it used to be. It is a bit disappointing as we Malaysian love food fest especially during Ramadhan, a holy month of fasting for Muslims. Why I miss it? It is because I can find any kind of food I want from appetizer to dessert! Name it, go explore the bazaar and you will find it.

What is Bazaar Ramadhan look like? Is it like a festival? Yes, you can say it is like that. It is a kind of food fest where it is based on a certain location that has been reserved especially for the bazaar. The bazaar opens around 4pm until 7pm for 30 days. The famous spot is near the corner of the road, alongside the long roads, reserved parking lot, and a base reserved for food stalls. But remember my dear food stall owners, the spots must be approved by the District or City Council to avoid your stall to be confiscated by them.

Colorful canopy and crowds.
(Image: wanista.com)

I miss the moment when we arrived at the bazaar, there are lots of people come from different places, colors, and backgrounds surround the food stalls like bees at their hives. We walk through the busy road full of people buzzing around the stalls one by one, watching excitedly to the foods offered by each stall. I favor smelling the smokey from charcoal and sniffing at spices from the marinades in the air, hearing the seller shouting the names and prices of the foods like an auction bidding for a price. The challenging part starts here. 

What food I want to buy? I always asked myself as I do not want to be carried away by the tempting, ready-to-eat foods in front of me. There is an abundance of foods and drinks to choose from. Favorite dishes, unique dishes, usual dishes, or new dishes. Some dishes are being prepared on the spot like fried noodles, fried koey teow, fried bee hoon, and fried rice. 

Fried rice, fried noodle, fried koey teow, and fried bee hoon in a huge wok.
(Image: penangfoodie.com)

Watching them preparing for cooking is like watching a cooking show. It is fascinating to hear the clacking sound from collided stainless steel ladles attracts the crowds. A grown-up man cooking a wok of fried koey teow that can be feed to 20 peoples as it is nothing to him. He makes it looks easy but I know it takes some practices to make it to achieve that level, especially during this fasting month.  I appreciate his efforts for using his energy while fasting and selling the food to earn some money. So, I bought one, not because of pity but this fried koey teow is my favorite since I was a kid. My comfort food. 

The seller is busy preparing murtabak for his customers.
Image: (ExpatGo)

As I walking around the stalls like there is no end of the road, as I expected, the food that can be found easily is murtabak. Murtabak stalls are everywhere. A thin layer pancake as thin as paper with savory and slightly sweet fillings accompanied with spice-fragrant curry or with watery pink sliced raw onions that taste like vinegar dipping. They usually offer chicken, beef, and onion fillings. The dough is spread on the buttered surface, then poured the well-marinated minced beef with beaten egg, minced onion, and spices on the thinly spread dough. They fold it into a square shape so smoothly and carefully putting on the hot steaming frying pan as taking care of the babies. The sizzling sound from the frying pancake and the smell of onion caramelizing with the outer layer browning and crispy makes me drooling.  I still can buy it during MCO by ordering it online but it still cannot beat the freshly hot fried murtabak on the street.

Ramadhan usually comes during the summer season, so it will be challenging for those who not used to the hot climate of Malaysia. Your mouth and throat begging for water and your skin moist with dripping salty sweat making the shirt you wearing drenched like you just come back from the gym. While walking patiently in the crowd, my eyes are attracted to the huge, hug-sized jars filled with colorful drinks. 

(Image: blogmaukerja.com)

Red watermelon juice, orange-flavored drink, yellow chrysanthemum tea, green melon drink, blue coral with sliced lemon soda, purple yam-flavored drink, and pink sirap bandung. A flying rainbow you can drink! As a teh tarik lover, my eyes wandering around looking for the stall selling teh ais. In order to find the best teh ais, you must look at the color of the tea and the consistency. The darker the tea, the denser the tea flavor. The taste of tea leaves flavor will still lingering inside your mouth even after a sip. If the color is light like a white person's skin, that is milk tea. Not teh tarik/teh ais. I was told by an experienced cook, he used Harimau BOH tea leaves for his teh tarik to have a strong, dense tea flavor. 

Before I decided to stop hunting for food, I need something sweet to break the fast. Kuih-muih may be the best option. So my feet immediately make a step, a hungry girl steps slips through the crowds, to the stall selling kuih. There are many varieties to choose from. I picked tau fu fah. At first glance, it looks like the container is filled with dense, white tofu and dark caramel soy sauce. But when you taste it, the silky smooth tofu texture dancing around your tongue paired with sweet palm sugar will make your night brighter like the Milky Way in the mystery starry skies. I feel like I am an old lady because not all like the taste of tofu.

Tau fu fah, my favorite dessert. I can smell the pandan aroma fused inside the palm sugar syrup. 
(Image: vkeong.com)

After checking the foods I bought, I am ready to go back home and prepare for iftar. 

PART 1 ends here. 

(PART 2) To be continued ...