Market Friday: on the way to get my favourite sweet.

From time to time, I would crave my favourite childhood sweet which is bean curd in ginger syrup. A traditional Chinese sweet which is very popular in winter months or when children have a bad cold. So, I had to decide on the fastest route to get to New Road and Robinson mall to park my car. I followed Rama 4 road which was the road across the old railway station (Hua Lamphong). That’ s where there are so many traffic lights that I got confused which one I had to watch out for.

So many new condos and hotels have opened along Rama 4 road, I got a picture while waiting for the green light. By the way, a famous film star got fined by a police for using mobile phone taking her selfie at traffic light. Most policemen just ignore this rule as they themselves and their families take photos from inside their cars. Perhaps this one didn’t like the film star very much for some reasons.

I parked my cat at the car park in Robinson shopping mall as it woukd take me only five minutes to get to the sweet stall. I like this old shopping area with narrow New road which has remained mostly unchanged since my childhood days. I had to travel along this road to my schools so I always felt at home walking along the footpath while observing all the old shops with elderly shopkeepers. I hoped their younger family members wouldn’t sell the shophouses but continue with their grandparents’ businesses. I was amazed by some old shops as I had no ideas how they could make any substantial profits for their own survival. Perhaps their children kept them happy with monthly contributions.

I discovered this sweet stall by chance one day as I took a shot cut towards my friends’ office near Sathorn road. I noticed several nurses from the nearby hospitals waiting to be served and the sweet stall looked very clean. I told myself to taste all the sweets the vendor had to offer. Several months passed by and I still couldn’t find the time to go feasting on at least two kinds of Chinese sweets. Until one afternoon, I made a special trip just to have some sweets. The vendor has become used to seeing me about once a month; he could remember my usual order.

(The coconut ice cream stall)

The vendor is a nice young man who tends to be quite timid and very softly spoken. He’s very polite and honest; he looked like a college graduate who took on the old family tradition of selling Chinese sweets. I was the only one in my family who decided to break free of family business and went off on my own. My father told me as a youngster that he wanted to give me one of his companies. My siblings were quite pleased that I declined the offer saying that I wanted to go to medical college. (But I changed my mind when I got older)

These sweets always bring back some forgotten memories, so I have to be careful how much I would consume in a day. There are two small wooden tables for customers to enjoy the sweet by the stall. I always have the bean curd in ginger syrub and would get two more orders to take home. I had to be patient and wait for my turn. I waited for thirty minutes so as soon as I had my sweet, I gobbled it up without taking any photos.

The ginger syrup is rather strong so some people would like to add more hot water and brown sugar cane. I prefer mine very strong with a bit of brown sugar. The steamed bean curd is a cooked in a large pot until the texture becomes like semi hardened mousse. The vendor would use a thin stainless spatula to dish out the bean curd mousse into thin slices to be placed in a bowl. Then he would add a spoonful of sugar cane and pour the hot ginger brew on top. I would usually ask for extra bean curd and plenty of ginger brew. This is confort food or sweet for me as it always revive my spirit and brighten my mood. The hot ginger brew or strong tea would spark a series of electrical firework inside my brain as if all the neurons were suddenly woken up.

The heat from the ginger syrup and spicy taste of ginger would make me perspire and all my senses would be opened and cleansed of dark residues from emotional disturbances. The nutrients from bean curd would pacify my need for easily digestible protein. My body and mind would become alert and begin to appreciate the present moment with the wonderful experience of being alive and enjoying my favourite Chinese sweet.

The picture of me as a small kid sitting on a small wooden chair by the old vendor’ stall came back to me. The first time I had the chance to taste several Chinese sweets was when I was living with my Chinese grandmother at her house near the old Hua Lamphong train station. That area was crowded with rows of houses rented by Chinese immigrants. So, we would find the nearby alley lined with Chinese eateries and teashops.

My grandmother told me that my grandfather would take me (as a toddler) to meet his friends at the big teashop at the corner every morning. I was like a cute pet or fat cat to be showed off. When I was eight years old, I went to have a good look at this teashop where I had been schooled the art of social etiquette of teashop. It brought me lots of warm feelings and a deep sense of security. My grandfather passed away when I was three years old. So, I couldn’t remember much about my childhood. I used to look at his black and white photo while wondering about the love and affection he had showered on me. My uncles told me that I was the favourite child in our Chinese families.

The vendor had no idea why I always looked so ecstatic while having his most simple bean curd in ginger syrup. This sweet stall is very popular and customers had to wait up to twenty minutes sometimes. The last time I was there, I has to wait for thirty minutes as several customers order a dozen packets for take home. To make the simple sweet more like a treat; I would add some extra sesame dumplings in ginger syrup. Not to be outdone by other customers, I ordered two extra portions to take home, each bag cost me twenty cents. My transport bill was more expensive than my fantastic Chinese sweets.

Bean curd in ginger syrub is definitely an anti-depressant and uplifting magic for me. My mood would become lighter and smiles would find me again. After enjoying my sweet, I would be recharged with new energy with optimism for living a joyful life without unnecessary stressful thoughts. The vendor has no idea that his simple sweets have made such a difference to the moods of so many customers. That’s probably why there’s always such a long queue on front of his stall everyday.

Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.

Stay strong and cheerful.

#marketfriday hosted by @dswigle