Thursday, May 17, 2012

How do you eat your Ba Chang?

I got up very early last Monday to make some macarons and almond crisps for my friend Chris of Purglutton because I would be seeing her for dinner that evening. As I did not age the egg for more than 48 hours, the macs did not turn out as perfect as I wanted them to be. Furthermore, I was lazy to draw circles so they are of all kinds of shapes and size. I need to improve on my skill in piping. Chris was very kind to tell me she does not care about the look and she thought they were delicious. 

Chris gave me some Ba Chang she made herself.  Ba chang is one of my favorite things.  I tried my hands on it last year but I don’t think I want to do it again. Out of ten packages that I tried wrapping, I could only get one right. That was what I told my friend Chris over dinner. The first time I met Chris was at the Angry Bird Cupcakes class last November and since then, we have been keeping in touch by commenting on each other’s blog and on facebook. We wanted to meet up several times to catch up but we did not get to do that until last Monday. We found out that we are from same hometown, Ipoh. Somehow, we both agreed that when we meet people from the same hometown, we tend to feel connected easily. Obviously we chat till the cow comes home that evening. We had a fun evening together and greed that we must do that more often.

Coming back to the ba chang I got from Chris. When I reached home, I wanted to eat one before I go to bed. I knew I will be sorry if I did that. I tried very hard to resist the temptation but I was thinking about the ba chang the whole night long. LOL!  So, the first thing I did when I woke up the next morning, I warmed two, one for me and one for my mum for breakfast.

The Ba Chang are from Chris of Pureglutton.
She made these herself.


My favorite way to eat the ba chang is with sugar. Oh yes, you did not heard wrongly, I always eat my ba chang with sugar. I know, most of my Kuala Lumpur friends thought that I am crazy when they saw that but that is how “Ipoh Mali” people eat their ba chang. Can some of the "Ipoh Mali" people confirm this? How about you? How do you eat yours?

Chris, if you are reading this post,  TWO THUMBS UP for your ba Chang.  The taste was similar to those I had when I was living in Ipoh. They brought back sweet childhood memories. See my next picture for proof of how good it is, do I need to say more? LOL!



If you are interested to know how to make ba chang, check  this video and like what my Quay Lo used to say, "Knock yourself out!" LOL!


The Ba Chang Chronicles

85 comments:

  1. Hi....wow this is awesome dear.....luv the rice and filling...wow I wish I can try this...

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    1. Yes, this is awesome, I still have two more to go! Yummy!

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  2. yummm..this is very informative & lovely post..thanks for sharing..:)
    Tasty Appetite

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  3. How do I eat my bak chang? ... greedily! :D
    I can never make this myself. Tried it once and was totally allergic to the leaves ... itched all day and all night! Maybe will make it with the lotus leaves instead but the flavors might be different then.
    You're so lucky to have been given homemade ones. They look so perfect and with so much filling! And judging from the super clean leaves, they must have been delicious! I hate buying the commercially made ones, it's always so lacking in ingredients ....... a lot of rice tho :(

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    1. I know you are going to change the ba chang into something else. You seldom make anything traditional. I am curious to see what twist you going to throw in to surprise us. Ping, these ba chang is very delicious, "VERY IPOH TASTE". I love it.

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  4. I love ba chang, I can have it 3 meal a day :P

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    1. Me too but when I eat too much, I get heartburn.

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  5. I also eat dumpling with sugar, but not this type of one. I like the white dumpling, inside have beans one. That one is even nicer to eat with sugar.

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    1. The only ba chang I do not eat with sugar is the Nyonya type because they are already sweet, other than that I eat all kinds with sugar.

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  6. I love Ba Chang too, but my way of eating is it will go with chili sauce and the Di Chang (yellow one) will go with palm sugar :)

    The Ba Chang you eat is full with filling, looks so tempting that I wish I can have a piece of it :D

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    1. Yes, this ba chang is awesome, Chris put in lots of filling. Oh I have not tried them with palm sugar, thanks for the idea.

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  7. with sugar? I just eat it original..
    I love Ba Zhang with lots of ingredients...
    My MIL's Ba Zhang is really good......
    http://oongui.blogspot.com/2012/04/ba-zhang-festival-not-so-soon.html

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    1. Homemade ba chang always taste more superior than what were sold outside. Will check out the link. Thanks.

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  8. Have not tried Ba Chang let alone try to cook them. They looked delicious.

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    1. I wonder if you can get the leaves at your end to make this. I believe you will love it if you have tried it.

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  9. Oh, Quaypo, Ba Chang is my favourites too. No, you are wrong, I eat Ba Chang with sugar too! Well, you Ipoh Mali, I Kampar Mali loh..... hee....hee.... I remember when I am still a teenager, I eat Ba Chang for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I need to master how to wrap it or else I cannot make it myself. My family (Hainanese) wrap Ba Chang in "pillow" type. Easy loh..

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    1. haha Kampar Mali and Ipoh Mali, same, same. Yes, to make ba chang, you have to know how to wrap them. I have tried the "pillow" type too. They are good. Is it more easy to do?

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  10. Oh~ Your dumpling really make me miss my mum bak chang!~ this summer holiday will be back and help her to make it!! can't wait for the time coming!~

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  11. I only take white (Cantonese) bak zhang with sugar. For normal black one, I take it originally!

    The season is coming and I'm going to stuff myself greedily with bak zhang soon :D

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    1. Yes, eat as much as you can if you can get the homemade ones. Enjoy!

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  12. In our family, all of us also take ba chang with sugar- taught by grandmother from China. In fact our cousins in Guangzhou also do that!

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    1. Interesting to know that people from Guangzhou eat ba chang with sugar too:D

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  13. This looks so delicious, Quay Po!

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    1. Yes, they are, thanks to my friend Chris for thinking of me.

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  14. Yummy! I eat my bak chang with Lingam's chilli sauce. I remember as a child, I did eat another type of chang with sugar. This chang is not triangle shape but shaped like a log. It has mung beans in it. I also love Nyonya chang.

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    1. Mmm... I could not remember I have eat ba chang in a log shape. I wonder what kind it is.

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  15. Good morning and have a nice day!! :)

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    1. Thanks for dropping by. You too have a wonderful weekend.

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  16. I am hoping to document my mom's recipe and method this time round. We shall see.

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    1. Luan Ee, please do and share the recipe with us:D

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  17. Drool! Drool! Dunno if any kind soul will give me some really nice ones this year. My MIL has stopped making, arms not strong enough to hold up and tie the zhangs anymore. Hmmm...I will use my hand, wouldn't be eating with a fork... Not so dainty, not so high class. LOL!!!

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    1. I know when one gets older, there are many things we cannot do anymore:( Aiyoh, why you say like that, use hand not high class meh? LOL!

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  18. Hey Veron, I'm so glad you enjoyed my bakchang :-) Your gorgeous photos do them more than justice. Did you really add sugar to them, LOL! I'll probably do another batch later... I still have lots of the bamboo leaves at home. This first batch is more for the YH article, as you know :-)

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    1. Sure I did! Good make some more, I am sure your family and friends will enjoy them. Keep me posted on the article. Please send me the link.

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  19. Oh, another thing ... your macarons and almond crisps were scrumptious! *smack lips* :)

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    1. hehe, thank dear, I wish you eat the macs with your eyes closed. They are so ugly! hahaha

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  20. I love Ba Chang, especially when my mum makes it. At home, my mum needs to seperate the Ba Chang so that me and my bro won't fight over it. HEhehhee..

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  21. Oh, you enjoy Ba Chang with sugar, my 1st time heard of this, hehehe..I know how to cook the ingredients but i am poor in wrapping into nice Ba Chang shape, this year i want to try making them again.

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    1. Sonia, there is nothing you can't do and you always do so well. Looking forward to see your ba chang post.

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  22. I have never had Ba Chang…or heard of it! It looks so delicious!

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    1. I am not surprise. Most Westerners don't know ba chang.

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  23. wow that's fast, seems like you start practising already. ermm ready for the feast next month? i wanna order some from you already :D

    Latest: Best Food of Herbs&Spices

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    1. My dear girl, you are mistaken, I did not make those ba chang. My friend Chris made them and gave me some:D

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  24. I miss ba chang with the chestnut! Got to hunt one down soon here!

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  25. I only know gee chang (akaline dumpling) eat with sugar. We cantonese eat bak chang with light soy sauce and cooked fragrant oil (xi yau and so yao). Thank you for your information. Like your bak chang, they looked sooooo yummy.

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    1. My mum love gee chang more than ba chang. My mum is Cantonese but I have not seen her eating the ba chang with xi yau and so yao. I must asked her why. hehe

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  26. I miss bak chang very much...it's been long long time I've never had it already, your bak chang look yummy & delicious!!!

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    1. Peggy, those ba chang came from my friend Chris. I wish I can make something like this. They are SO SO delicious and pretty looking.

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  27. Yes..they look delicious! My late grandpa makes good bak chang and now I am thinking the chang he used to make for us.

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    1. You grandpa made good ba chang? How about your grandma, didn't she inherit the skill and the recipe from him?

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  28. I Ipoh Mali but have yet to try with sugar in my chang wor...hahaha only dip sugar for the ' Kan sui ' one la :) savory and sweet ...mmmm I must try your style this chang festival and I shall tell you what I think of it this coming July when I see you LOL! Cant wait to meet up with you :)

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    1. Elin, me too, can't wait to meet you in person. I can imagine that we all Ipoh Mali people will yak eat till we drop. LOL!

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  29. When I saw your header, I thought, "It's dumpling time??" Lol! I've dumplings but I only eat provided there's salted egg yolk inside. Mom always say I'm fussy :<

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    1. I love salted eggs but strangely I do not like it in the ba chang:D

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  30. Ya ya...I remember eating my 'ba chang' with sugar too when I was young :P. Taste really good!

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  31. Oh boy. the dumplings look so delicious!

    I am Taiping mali and I do eat half of my dumpling with sugar and the other half with tomato sauce! :)

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    1. Catheryn, actually Taiping Mali, Kampar Mali or Ipoh Mali almost the same when food is concern. One thing though, I have never tried eating ba chang with tomato sauce. Sounds like fusion to me. hehe

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  32. Oh my, I'm drooling over your dumplings! I'll usually bite one corner and eat my way through in a few hare mouthfuls! Lol! Can't wait to sink my teeth into one, heehee.^_^

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    1. I wish I made those dumplings! hehe but it was given to me by my friend Chris. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the balance of the two ba chang that are in my fridge too.

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  33. hmm i only eat bachang with sugar if it's the nyonya chang, if not - it's just peel away the leaves and eat it without any cutlery or plates to save on cleaning :p

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    1. I know I have replied to your comment but it is gone. My mum too eat without cutlery or plates:D

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  34. I would have no idea how I eat ba chang!!! This is a new dish to me.

    Thanks so much for you kind thoughts and condolences, much appreciated. Diane

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    1. Diane, I replied your comment too but it is not published. ??? I don't think you can find ba chang in where you live so you must come to Asia to try it:D

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  35. I love salty ba chang.. mom use to make during my childhood ^_^

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    1. It is frustrating when I replied comments and it is not published. Have you tried eating them with sugar?

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  36. Sugar and bak chang? That is new to me. Of course I am not from Ipoh.

    I am curious with how it taste and will do so for breakfast later this morning. I just received some bak chang from my Ipoh pals.

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    1. Sorry my earlier reply to your comment not published. Anyway, have you tried with sugar yet?

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  37. I really wish I could answer that question! First I have to try it to tell you how I eat it. I guess I'll have to make it myself to find out! :)

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    1. Lyndsey, I would love to see the post on your ba chang.

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  38. i also made bak chang once, believe me, they are came in different shapes and sizes, blamed it on my tying skills! eh, you know something..i also eat bak chang with sugar!! i learned it from my mum..she ate that with sugar too!! i think somebody in ipoh must have started the trend to eat with sugar then!!

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    1. Lena, the tying part is the most difficult and that is truly a skill to master to get nice looking ba chang. Yes, I wonder who that brilliant fellow who started the trend of eating ba chang with sugar too.

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  39. I also eat mine with sugar too!! We usually make red bean one but then we had some salty ones from some friends and I thought 'why not try with sugar?'...took me by surprise, it was so yum! haha. adds another dimension to it!

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    1. CC, I have not had ba chang with red beans before. I guess it is a sweet ba chang is it?

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  40. the celebration for Ba Chang is over already? *blur* maybe I am too busy in work/pc games zzz

    my family didn't make Ba Chang due to some of my Family tradition rules :/ oh well

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    1. just found out that 农历五月初五 is 端午节 which means is on 23th June! Tehee! :D

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    2. So are you going to eat lots of ba chang?

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  41. I can hardly wait for the coming 23th June to eat warm Ba Chang after looking at your photos! ;P

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    1. Thanks for dropping by and take time to leave your comment. Did you have some already? Enjoy.

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