Say "Cheese"

Bee Cheng Hiang has been in the meat-curing business for over 70 years. Based in Singapore, it has now expanded all over Asia (there are a few branches in the Philippines) peddling their insanely popular bakkwa -- which is the Chinese version (more superior one, in my opinion) of the Western jerkey. Whenever I am in Hong Kong or Singapore, I would buy these by the kilo since my dad really likes them and they make great pasalubongs (presents usually associated with travel) to relatives and friends.

So it is no surprise that when my uncle came back from a business trip to Indonesia he decided to bring home more than his fair share of these.

It is now the 21st century and even an age-old tradition like meat-curing has caught up with the times. Presenting, bite-sized bakkwa in vacuum-sealed packs! I look at the packaging and notice that the clear underside displays a thick yellowish residue covering the meat. At first I thought it was oil, but I look at the label closely and finally realize what I had stumbled upon. It was CHEESE! My eyes glisten with excitement.

Normally you can just tear off the wrapper and eat the contents but my mom placed these inside the refrigerator that evening so I thought it best to first submerge them in a tub of warm water to melt away some of the fat and drippings.

After a few minutes, the meat loosens up and you can easily slide the bakkwa free from its plastic prison. While taking pictures I had to fight the urge to just grab a piece and eat it because the caramelized scent of warm cured meat was wafting through the air. Finally I take a bite.

The sweet and salty taste of the bakkwa is a perfect partner to the slighty sour taste of the dairy. All three flavors have equal billing on my palette, giving each other equal opportunity to showcase their unique and wonderful qualities.

Sarap!