Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Siow from Titi(知知港), Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Titi, the place was introduced to me by one of my friend, Kenneth Siow; who is from the Xiao family from Titi, Negeri Sembilan. Titi is a small town located at Jelebu district of Negeri Sembilan state of Malaysia. It is about an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, from the old trunk road off 9th miles, Cheras, to Pekan Batu 14 and Semenyih dam. The sign B32/N32 lead the road to Kuala Klawang. It is winding road to Titi.




Titi is a Hakka village town, it has a population of about 10,000 people. More than 90% of the population are Hakka people, and most of them are Hakka Xiao(客籍萧氏), mainly Huizhou Hakka(惠州客). The ancestor of the Xiao clan from Titi , are from Huizhou(惠州坪地), Kwangtung (广东), China, they are Huizhou Hakka Xiao(惠州客籍萧氏), now under Shenzen(深圳坪地). The Titi town was established in 1838, it attracted the Hakka Chinese to Titi due to the tin mining in the area.

Titi is an agricultural, with new village history. It is famous for its Sarawak type of pineapples, they called Titi pineapples. Titi pineapples is considered one of the best in Malaysia. It also produced sweet potatoes, tapioca, and sugar canes. Sweet juicy sugar canes is another famous agricultural products here. The people are mainly rubber tappers , small rubber/oil palm estate owners , or fruit orchard owners.

The town has one Chinese Primary School, SJK(C)Chun Yin( 知知港群英华小), most of the students continue their secondary school in Jelebu or Seremban. Except one latex factory owned by the local, there is not much job opportunity in Titi, most of the younger generation go to other places for work.

It is in Titi, during the World War 2, a total of 1,474 local residents were killed by Japanese armies, a memorial (森美蘭州知知港日治殉難華僑紀念碑) was built at Titi to remember the death. (Ref: 抗日纪念碑, 26-1-2007, http://www.huayan.net.my: 其中一项最残酷的大屠杀发生在1942年3月初座落在日了务的Jelundong(知知港附近) 。在一天之内,Jelundong的全体华人被屠杀及房屋被焚烧。日本蝗军干下这些非人性的行为是为了“警告” 以及制服当地的华人。已经控制了大局的日军,还做出屠杀无辜的行为,可说干下了滔天大罪。)

It is also in Titi, Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) on Dec 1948 at the party's central committee meeting in the jungle, that Chin Peng and the communists of Malaya decided to fight for the independence of Malaya, to form People Repblic of Malaya(Ref: 信手拈来: 马共记忆, , www. nanyang.com, 10-6-2009: 陈平在1948年12月于森美兰知知港森林中举行的中央会议所喊出的斗争口号:建立马来亚人民共和国。正确的斗争口号应是:争取马来亚的独立。) . The resident of Titi town was under the New Village administration during the Emergency, a Titi New village was established in 1949. It was one of the pioneer new village in Malaya. The suspected pro-communist Chinese residents were moved to the new village, and their divided and rule policy . It was like a penal prisoner camp, that British used that tactic in India where the Indian convicts are sent to penal territories of Penang, Singapore and Malacca. The Chinese were merely suspected supporters of the communist, without any trials, they were forcibly moved to the new village. Food were ration and controlled to prevent the villagers sent their food to the communists in the nearby jungle. Facilities in the camp were basic, the new villagers need to start all their lives again in the new environment. The people were under extreme hardship during the Emergency rule , under the British colonial government.

Titi is also the hometown of the Malaysian king of Hakka song, singer Qiu Yun(1947-2006)(客家歌王邱清云的故乡). The famous Hakka popular song sang by him is posted below:



Titi is also famous for its snacks(傳統糕點), mainly Ma Chi Chang, Zu Ye Pan(粗葉粄). People from Johore, Kuala Lumpur come here during weekend and school holidays, to enjoy the food and fruits here. For a longer holiday, there is one Eco Organic Farm(知知港生态农场度假村/知知港生态农场) in Titi. It is located at Lot 1706, Sg. Rotan, Kg. Titi, Daerah Jelabu, 71650 Negeri Sembilan. To have a eco holiday in Titi, is not a bad idea.....

The video posting is for the clan members of Xiao family to understand the life of Xiao clan in Titi, a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.











There is a clan association for Xiao clan,Negeri Sembilan Titi Siow Clansmen Association, with the address as follow:-


N. S. TITI SIOW CLANSMEN ASSOCIATION (森美蘭知知港蘭陵蕭氏聯宗會)
NO. 6 , CROSS ROAD , T I T I ,
71650 JELEBU ,
NEGRI SEMBILAM ,
MALAYSIA .


知知港‧黃梨甜茶粿香(posting from http://keadilan.ws/forumcn)

知知港是森美蘭州一個小山城,地方雖然不大,但卻以兩種美食閒名全馬,其中之一就是又香又甜又無渣的砂拉越黃梨,另一種則是家庭獨特秘方烹製的傳統糕點。

無論是來自州內其他地區,或者是吉隆坡、柔佛的旅客,都會趁假日不辭勞苦的駕駛數百哩車程到知知港享受購“食”樂,把大粒大粒的黃梨和香甜的糕點帶回家。

知知港這個小山城並不大,除了二條大街之外就沒有甚麼特別好逛的。但是,“沒甚麼好逛”並不代表它是一個沉睡之鄉,其實在週六、週日或公共假期,知知港可就熱鬧了。

“是啊,凡到假期知知港就熱鬧了。我們這裡沒有甚麼出名,但勝在黃梨和糕點夠有吸引力,許多旅客都是特地開車到知知港來,目的只為了購買黃梨和糕點。”當地居民都這樣驕傲的說。

知知港村民大部份以務農為生,被群山包圍的知知港尤其以栽種水果最聞名,除了砂拉越黃梨之外,其他農作物例如樹膠、甘蔗、香蕉、波羅蜜、芒果、火龍果、仁心果和木瓜都大量種植,也大量批發到外地。

而理所當然的,凡到知知港遊玩的旅客,大部份都會順手牽“果”,東一袋西一袋把新鮮水果購買回去。

除了新鮮水果,遊知知港還有一樣必買的就是當地居民親手烹製的傳統糕點。知知糕傳統糕點種類繁多,至少有40種可供選擇;重點是都是由手工製成,完全不靠機械,因此一咬入口,就可以咬出不一樣的味道和感動。

知知港的傳統糕點檔共有兩檔,都是在五腳基處擺賣,大盤大盤的糕點一字排開頗具氣勢,且種類繁多,五顏六色繽紛奪目,令人難以作出選擇。從當地居民口中得知,知知港糕點著名,乃勝在原汁原味,都是採用新鮮素材來烹製,同時價格便宜,一塊只售50仙,而且比吉隆坡購買到的糕點還要大塊,非常“抵食”。

居民說,知知港旅遊業並不發達,以前還有一間神廟可供信徒求財,以烏龜來抽出真字的這間神廟曾經風光一度,週末假日還有外地人組團租巴士到來觀光膜拜,但近幾年來不知怎的,廟宇變得比較寂靜。

無論如何,雖然沒有了一輛又一輛的巴士,但知知港的黃梨和糕點卻依然魅力不減,很多識途老馬還是自己開著車,載著一家大小到知知港買個痛快,吃個愉快。

土質適合種黃梨

知知港的二條大街只有約50間店,但售賣或批發黃梨的檔口或商店就有7、8家,而環繞在知知港近郊的園坵地,就有300英畝被開墾作為栽種黃梨的用途,初步估計,知知港黃梨園主就有至少60位。

知知港由於地質特殊,即泥質多沙質少,而且還屬紅泥性質,因而比其他任何土壤都更適合栽種黃梨。

新順興生果貿易其中一名負責人吳世能就表示,就這種土壤栽種出來的砂拉越黃梨更清甜、多汁,而且還無渣。

大大小小或深青或嫩綠或奶黃或金橙的黃梨堆在水果檔的木架上,煞是艷麗誘人,嗅著黃梨香,令人忍不著直吞口水,恨不得馬上把它吃進肚子裡去。

吳世能指出,砂拉越黃梨分為A級和B級,A級就是2公斤以上,而B級則是2公斤以下。

至於如何挑選優級黃梨,“內行人”均表示,首先須挑選皮色帶有亮澤,而且還稍微偏黃的,這表示黃梨“足水”,再來可以手指輕彈黃梨表面,如果黃梨發出深沉的聲音,就屬於好黃梨。

知知港黃梨除了生吃清甜可口之外,用它來製成黃梨果醬更適合不過,因為多汁無渣,因此烹煮出來的黃梨果醬入口滑順,綿綿如絲。

凡是到知知港一日遊的旅客,都不忘把三幾粒黃梨帶回家,“因為這裡的黃梨比較便宜,也更新鮮,吉隆坡雖然也可以購買到知知港黃梨,但價格肯定比這裡貴。”

粗葉粄
有治內傷功效









(picture credited to http://www.badongo.com/pic/3498792)


知知港老字號傳統糕點店──頌成,已有四、五十年的歷史,早上10點多大街傳統糕點飄香,一嗅就知道是頌成的傑作。

新一代掌門人伍文寶在8歲開始就跟隨媽媽在廚房裡烹製糕點,如今學得一身武功,隨便點名她隨時就可以為你“變”出你想要的糕點。

頌成可說是糕點世家,伍文寶指出,除了她母親做糕點,連婆婆和外婆也是從事糕點這一行,“如今我的孩子也很喜歡吃糕點,希望將來他們都能繼承這一行。”

到知知港購買傳統糕點,就一定要購買客家人的傳統糕點──粗葉粄,一種以粗葉製成的糕點;粗葉營養價值高,擁有很高的纖維素,而且對治癒內傷功效高。

“烹製粗葉粄的過程繁雜,首先將綠色的粗葉葉子以滾水煮約1個小時,讓它完全變成黑色,過後取出搗碎,最後參入麵粉製成糕點。粗葉粄共分為2種口味,一是包裹著由菜蒲烹煮而成的內餡,另一種則是空心的。”

說也奇怪,粗葉這種植物在其他地區非常罕見,知知港卻特別多,其葉片背面含有毛狀,手觸及會令人感到奇癢無比,因此在採集和烹煮時,伍文寶和母親都格外小心。

粗葉粄吃起來咸咸香香,口感韌中帶軟,嚼勁頗佳,越咬越有意思。

另外一種值得推介的糕點是客家油起,俗稱華人比薩,一塊一塊圓柱型的扁平糕點,內頭竟然是木瓜絲,外表炸得金黃色酥酥脆脆,沾上辣椒醬風味絕佳。

手功製作展誠意

除了粗葉粄和油起,頌成值得推介的傳統糕點非常多,例如木薯糕完全採用知知港木薯製成,香味四溢;Kuih Koji與馬來式Kuih Koji不同,它以黑糯米取代一般白糯米,風味更獨特;金瓜粒是以金瓜絲炸出來的球狀糕點粒,脆脆香香;即使普通的炸香蕉也很特別,它以知知港特產 Manga蕉炸成,一塊就有整個手掌般大小,口感和味道都和吉隆坡吃到的馬來式炸香蕉大有差別。

伍文寶表示,她和母親戴月雲每天清晨3點鐘就起床準備糕點,忙了幾個小時之後,10點30分熱烘烘的糕點正式出爐,間中邊做邊賣,直至傍晚6點才收工,“工作時間很長,人手烹製也很累,但無論如何,看見自己的糕點如此受歡迎,我們都高興得很。”

雖然曾經有人獻意打本讓她兩母女以機械大量生產傳統糕點,但一想到機械和手工的差異,以及機械生產沒有手工的誠意和味道,因此想也沒想就拒絕了。

知知港居民大部份以務農為主,下午2點多3點,從園坵歸來的園主都會買些糕點到咖啡店找老朋友喝茶聊天,同時,放學的小朋友也會到糕點檔打包糕點回家當小點心,正因為如此,知知港傳統糕點已經和當地居民有著濃得化不開的關係。

(source:http://keadilan.ws/forumcn/viewthread.php?tid=2162)

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