Sunday, April 18, 2010

Day 5: Cooking on the street

When in Taiwan, you must cook something Taiwanese, even if it's something small and papplu, but you MUST. So, in Tainan city, I tried my hands at Pong Thong, a traditional snack that's made on the roadside and customers are requested to join in for its preparation. I think it's rather innovative than merely 'selling' the snack. Get the guy involved in the making cause even if he doesn't like it, he can't really blame anyone, can he? :P


On a coal flame, melted sugar is heated till it starts boiling. All this while, you keep stirring with a wooden spoon. (And make sure you do it well or else the man supervising will snatch the spoon and start stirring himself!!)

The supervisor checks if there are any knots in the liquid. When he is convinced, the sugar is taken off the flame and a pinch of soda is added to it. And THEN, you STIR STIR STIR, in long circles, STIR STIR STIR.


The mixture is put in a plastic cup and because of the soda, it magically rises upwars and forms that frosty crown.

It is taken out and given to you.


And that's what my Pong Thong looked like...

PS: I know the only things you do is stir, but hey, that's the toughest part, wokay?

8 comments:

Unknown said...

It sounds like fun, and sickly sweet.
Was it?

Hotwani said...

You got it ABSOLUTELY right. Sickly sweet. After two bites, I didn't know what to do with it. :P

your roomate from Tainan said...

but you ate it all !

Hotwani said...

Cause unlike Sabrina, I didnt have a Frank who could eat it for me. :P

Samira Pillai said...

A dish made only of sugar?! Ugh! And you finished it all?! Ugh!

Hotwani said...

Ahem. I made it, remember? I HAD to own up to it.

PS: After every bite, I kept having something or the other to get over the sweet taste. :P

Radhika said...

Does it taste like buddhi ke baal? Candy Floss?

Hotwani said...

hmm.. yea.. you can say that.. but its buddhi ka baal multiple ten times the sweetness