The lure of Ramadan bazaars

A Ramadan bazaar in Wangsa Maju, Selangor.

If you throw a stone in Malaysia during the month of Ramadan, you are likely to hit a bazaar.

Bazaars offering a wide variety of food had sprouted up all over the country since Ramadan began on August 11.

Lists of the top bazaars to go to have been drawn up. The more known and established bazaars attract enthusiasts from everywhere. Plans are made early in the day as to which bazaar they should visit.

Malaysians enjoy their Ramadan bazaars just as they love their pasar malam (night markets).

The tired soul derives great pleasure from soaking up the sight, sound and smell of stalls laden with delicious food.

Food shopping at the bazaars is enjoyable but do it wisely.

And there is something for everybody at the Ramadan bazaars.

The appearance of dishes (such as bubur lambuk or savoury rice porridge) peculiar to the fasting month and normally not seen Malay cakes especially traditional ones (such as tepung pelita and pisang sira, among others) in the bazaars is cause for celebration and a simple trip to buy food for the berbuka puasa (the breaking of fast at sunset) table turns into a jolly outing.

Choosing your favourite comfort food at a familiar stall for breaking the day's fast is a fun and satisfying experience for many.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Tepung pelita, a Malay dessert, is popular with shoppers.

Also, the month of Ramadan provides jobs for budding entrepreneurs and that is a good thing.

But, as consumerists and other concerned Malaysians point out repeatedly, people tend to overspend and overeat during the fasting month.

Food shopping on an empty stomach is a bad plan because every item on the stall counters looks appetising.

It is bound to lead to buying food that will probably end up in the dustbin.

Bubur lambuk, a savoury rice porridge, makes its appearance during Ramadan

It would be a good idea to make a list of food items that you need and stick to it.

If you are not careful, food shopping at the Ramadan bazaars can take a considerable chunk out of your monthly food budget.

The goal is to be prudent consumers.

Comments

Who am I?

Malaysian artist Jeganathan Ramachandram will be exhibiting his paintings in Singapore if a deal with a company to display Human Watching: A Visual Poetry on the Science of Human Watching in the island republic is successful. The intuitive artist told Survey that the move is still under negotiation. Human watching made its debut at Galeri Petronas in March, 2009 and was well received by both art critics and art lovers. Fourteen portraits representing females and males born on each of the seven days in a week were put on view. The depictions (acrylic on canvas) were based on his observations of human behaviour for the past 14 years. Images of seven females and seven males inform viewers through symbols of their strengths and weaknesses and their relationships with other people. Those who have seen Human Watching identified with their profiles almost immediately. Admit it: you are curious about yourself! Males, who were born on Sunday ( bottom picture ), were pleasantly surprised to dis

When a card came out of the blue ...

This post is prompted by a remark made by my good friend Wei Lin. She saw me reading a card I had received from a friend recently and said: "Traditional cards are so old-fashioned." I wondered if that was true and decided to probe into the issue. A Google search revealed numerous articles on the debate between traditional paper-based cards and e-cards. Tracey Grady's examination of the pros and cons of each type is informative. In my opinion, e-cards are not substitutes for the real (traditional) ones and they shouldn't be. I treat e-card e-mails with suspicion because spammers could be using them to download viruses and software onto my computer. I have never sent anyone an e-card and I don't plan to; I dislike the cold impersonality of conveying greetings electronically. I have always liked sending and receiving cards the traditional way. The ritual of going to a bookshop, browsing at the card section, picking a suitable one for the recipient and then walking to

Jehan bagged it!

Journalist Jehan Mohd is 30 today. I thought she would like a mer? original handbag so I invited Ice to design one that would suit her charming and vivacious personality. Ice did not disappoint and I am very happy with her creation. I think Jehan likes the stylish tote ( see picture ) too. Happy Birthday Jehan and enjoy the bag!

a fleeting stay ...

Search This Blog