Dear readers, the Dragon Boat Festival or the Double Fifth Festival is next Monday.
And it is evident that the Dragon Boat Festival is near as we can see many stalls sprout up in recent days selling dumplings.
Based on my own “market research” being out in town and neighbourhood these days, the lowest price of a dumpling (unbranded one) is $4 a dumpling.
And in Waterloo street, near to Fu Lu Shou complex, there is a mini bazaar with stalls selling none other than dumplings!
There are few brands of dumpling stalls there: Eastern rice dumplings, Xiang Ye Nonya dumplings but the stall with the longest queue is Joo Chiat Kim Choo. The dumplings sold at the stores at the bazaar cost on average around $6 per dumpling.
I could understand the long queues at Joo Chiat Kim Choo stall given my understanding that the Kim Choo stall at Joo Chiat is famous for its peranakan kuehs and dumplings. But I was surprised when I read the stall was by Neo Group on the sign of the stall in the bazaar. I was not aware that Neo Group has taken over the stall at Joo Chiat. And when I recently visited Kim Choo stall in Joo Chiat, there was no indication that Neo Group has taken over the stall.
After some research online, only then did I realise that Joo Chiat Kim Choo is different from the Kim Choo stall in Joo Chiat called “Kim Choo Kueh Chiang”. On Kim Choo Kueh Chiang website, it was also stated “we do not provide rice dumplings to “Joo Chiat Kim Choo Traditional Rice Dumplings,” and we do not sell any pre-packaged instant rice dumplings under the “Kim Choo Kid” brand at any convenience stores.” Just as a small side track, in peranakan cuisine, rice dumpling is considered a kueh, hence in Peranakan, it is kueh chiang rather than the commonly-used bak chiang.
I have decided to buy some bak chiangs for the dumpling festival this year and will share with you readers more on it.