It's here again - the Winter Solstice Festival ("Tang Chek") which falls today, 22nd December. As many know, this festival marks the start of spring and is a reminder that Chinese New Year will be here soon! Incidentally, you and I are one year older today (according to traditional Chinese belief)!Customs and traditions in Penang die hard and so there we were again rushing to get our glutinous rice balls ("th'ng ee") to offer to the Gods at our altar at home. This year we bought only enough to fill five small bowls. Very often much is left over after praying because nobody really wants to eat the stuff. I personally find them a little indigestible but still gobble down a few for good luck!! Though most people still stick to the conventional round shape, I read in the papers of an enterprising housewife who made hers in squares and in the shape of gold ingots (to signify prosperity and wealth).
To celebrate this day, we were invited out to lunch by our relatives at a wellknown Chinese restaurant. It has become an annual get-together and their guests included their old classmates and friends. The average age of that one table must be at least 80 (excluding yours truly - the youngest, of course!). Naturally, there was a lot of news and gossip to exchange and I thank our caring relatives for their generosity and kindness in organising this luncheon every year.
Want to try to make these glutinous balls yourself? Just surf the net, there are plenty of recipes to thrill and delight you!
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