love letters

These deilcate little rolls of wafer are called 'Kuih kapit' and a speciality in the Nyonya cooking of Malaysia and much prized over Chinese New Year. Made from a thin batter of coconut milk, rice and tapioca flour, sugar and eggs the mixture is poured into moulds etched with symbols of flowers, birds and animals. Baked over charcoal, the 'crepe' is rolled or folded quickly, requiring great skill I would think before they crisp and crumble.

Mum and I found a HUGE jar of these at the Asian grocers and today when I was there for lunch discovered they had munched there way through half already! Apparently visitors have been helping them out... alrighty then.

Anyway, I helped munch a few more and the taste always transports me back to my Malaysian childhood on the island of Penang when these were a real treat. My dad brought back highly coloured tins of the goodies from his patients and I remember sitting in the kitchen with our cook and amah hoeing into them with great gusto.

The history of the love letter is very romantic. A way for lovers to communicate, the edible message was contained with the 'letter' and eating the 'letter' was considered a sign that the words were taken to heart.