Rare fruits that can be found in Sarawak; Pink = engkalak, Black = dabai. Usually eaten as "ulam-ulaman" together with rice.
Engkalak Soften by soaking it for a while in boiled water. Drain and sprinkle it with salt, it is ready to eat. Alternatively, just soak it with warm water for 10 minutes. Eat it together with soy sauce and chillies. Engkalak has a crossed-taste between avocado and custard apple.
Dabai This "tropical olive" is often soften in warm water about 20 minutes to soften the flesh. Can also to be soaked in brine solution just like pickles preparation. Its taste is comparable to that of olive; creamy and a bit oily. When eaten with rice, dabai pickles will cheer up your rice with purple color.
Long and winding road. That is the description of the route that I have to pass through when traveling from Nilai to Bukit Jalil via Jenderam daily. Along Jenderam there are quite a number of goat farms. Some people say goat milk and meat are much better than those of cow. Let us look at the facts.
Milk
Nutrient content of goat milk is slightly less than cow milk but goat milk is more digestible because the fat molecules are one-fifth the size of those from cow milk - making it easily tolerated by those with compromised digestive systems.
Seventy-two percent of the milk used throughout the world is from goats. It is one-third richer than cows milk but more nourishing and easier to digest.
The flavor of goat milk is comparable to that of cow milk.Goat milk has a milder taste.
Goat milk has no cream separation because of smaller fat molecules.
Goat milk contains pre-formed Vitamin A in the milk fat that allows it to be readily available for use by the body.
Goats milk contains a more highly-evolved cholesterol than cows milk, making it more available for absorption to the brain and body. (Cholesterol is essential to the health of the myelin sheaths "white matter" of the nerves in the brain.)
Goat milk is closer to human milk and is therefore easily accepted especially by those young or frail.
Goat milk has an alkaline reaction the same as mother's milk. Cow milk has an acid reaction
Goat milk does not form mucous (phlegm) and is therefore better tolerated by asthmatics and those with allergies.
Goat milk contains more chlorine, fluorine and silicon than any other domestic livestock. Chlorine and fluorine are natural germicides and fluorine assists in preventing diabetes.
Goat milk contains 2% curd, which precipitates in the stomach. Cows milk is 10% curd.
Goats are naturally immune to diseases, such as tuberculosis, and are used in third-world countries to actually cure tuberculosis because of their inherent antibodies.
Goats milk is tolerated by a compromised /damaged liver because of the smaller fat molecules and it's naturally homogenized.
Goats milk has the ability to "sweeten" the intestinal tract and assist with constipation.
Goats milk contains a higher evolved carotene (pro-Vitamin A). Researchers have found this to have cancer preventing properties.
Meat
Meat from a goat has 50-65% lower fat content as compared to similarly prepared beef BUT has comparable protein content.
The percentage of saturated fat in goat meat is 40% less than chicken (that's without the skin)
A 3 oz. roasted piece of goat has the same number of calories as chicken! and half that of beef!!
Goat milk has medical benefits for the following illness;
I heard about this place few times in the past but I don't have the passion to visit there. My perception about this town has changed when my family and I strolled along Bandar Hilir on the 3rd Syawal after a hectic raya-tour to Batu Pahat, Johor and Jasin, Malacca on the 1st and 2nd day of raya respectively.
That night, my family and I spent a night in a one of ten cozy apartments of Mahkota Guest House (http://www.mahkotaguesthouse.com) run by my brother in-law, Sahar. The guesthouse has a range of rooms and apartment types from dormitory to 3-bedroom apartment with reasonable prices ranging from RM15 to RM170 per night (low season). This guesthouse is strategically located near the walking-distance tourist attractions, such as Menara Taming Sari, Jonker Street, Muzium Kesultanan Melayu Melaka, Maritime Museum, etc. "Have a pleasant stay... Your comfort is our priority..." is the guesthouse tagline.
I met a Japanese while staying in Mahkota Guest House, Sho. He has been staying in the guesthouse for a month now. According to Sho, usually he will stopover for about 3 weeks at any place he lodges, but Banda Hilir is such a peaceful and relaxing place to meditate. He worked as a messenger (I guess sort of postman or mat-dispatch). He quit his job and with the savings in hand, he travels. So far he has visited 28 countries. Japanese people are really work-alcoholic, he told me. They will work very hard, save the money and travel. After sometimes, they will return to Japan and find another job. They will repeat the same thing over and over again. I wonder can Malaysians have the same capability to do like Sho and other Japanese do.
Back to Banda Hilir. A ride on Taming Sari spinning tower will be a vital start. From above the tower, you can see a nice aerial view of Banda Hilir. Here, you can plan your next route of journey.
River Cruise along Malacca River is also an exciting way to explore the historical city at leisure. The cruise which takes 45-minute from the jetty near the Dutch Square, will sail you past Kampung Morten and back. The traditional houses of Kampung Morten are visible from the boat. Passengers will also be able to see many bridges, including the Sungai Malacca Bridge opposite Kampung Morten. The banks of the 4.5km river are dotted with old houses, godowns, shops and eateries. It will be a lot more fun to take the cruise at sunset but I don't have the chance to do so. My cruise was in the noon.
In short, mostly the tourist attraction sites in Banda Hilir are related to the influence of the centuries of colonization by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British as well as development of Straits Chinese (Peranakan) culture.
Malay/Muslim sites; Hang Jebat mausoleum, Hang Kasturi mausoleum, Kampung Hulu mosque, Kampung Kling mosque, Tranquerah mosque (Tengkera Mosque), Sultan's well, Masjid Selat, a modern mosque on the shore of Pulau Melaka.
European settlements; A Farmosa fortress (Porta de Santiago), Christ Church, Stadthuys (Dutch administrative buildings), Saint Francis Xavier Church, Kampung Portugis, St. John Fort, Ruins of St. Paul Church - Saint Francis Xavier was temporarily buried here St. Peter Church, St. Theresa Church and Victoria Fountain.
Chinese settlements; Bukit China cemetery, Cheng Hoon Teng temple, Geok Hu Keng temple, Poh San Teng temple, Sri Poyyatha temple etc.
So next time when you are in Malacca, come and visit Banda Hilir, a UNESCO World Heritage site. More pics will be posted later.
