Some New Food Alternatives I Tried because of the MCO

Well, with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) being imposed upon us once again (with more stringent measures being lined up in the immediate future), it looks like there'll be more cooking in the not too distant future.  Having said that, I have to say I found a couple of new finds (food related-lah, of course) because of the MCO.  Let's start with everyone's favourite canned meat.

#1 - Luncheon Meat

I had to eat other brands of luncheon meat coz beggars can't be choosers.  During the MCO (and post-MCO), you don't have the luxury to get the specific brand you want, you just get what was available.  In fact, during the MCO, luncheon meat was hard to come by as they were hoarded sold out everywhere.  Post-MCO, I still cannot find my favourite brand of luncheon meat and it was during the CMCO and RMCO that I tried out 3 other brands (I had no other choice).

#1.1 - Lotte Luncheon Meat from Korea (RM13 for a 340g can)

This metal can is very easy to open and the luncheon meat slides out effortlessly from the can which is a far cry from some of those that takes so much effort to release the luncheon meat from the can.

Surprise, surprise...I liked it a lot!  It was fragrant and tasty but slightly oilier than the other two brands I tried.

#1.2 - Golden Bridge Luncheon Meat from Singapore (RM14 for a 340g can)

This one was pretty tasty too, just not as fragrant as Lotte (and not as easy to get out of the can compared to Lotte).  If you're a health freak (but is still tempted by luncheon meat), this is probably your best bet as it's gluten free with no MSG added (I can hear Uncle Roger dissing this one already....haha!).

A supermarket promoter told my sister-in-law that this can even be eaten by cancer patients...well, I'm sure cancer patients will be thrilled to hear that...but is there even such a thing as healthy luncheon meat?.....hmmm...but, for your peace of mind, I didn't find the words sodium nitrite in the ingredient list of this can which the other two have. :P

#1.3 - Mei Ning Luncheon Meat from China (RM12 but it's only a 198g can)

This one is obviously pricier than the other two since it comes packed with chopped ham bits.  Expect the luncheon meat to be more difficult to slice evenly because of the ham.

Otherwise, this one tastes ok too but my least favourite of the three...partly because of the higher price + the ham bits are kinda troublesome (in terms of slicing and frying as they tend to get detached).

At the end of the day, did any one of these three unseat my favourite YiGe brand?...nope, not quite....but they're good alternatives and they'll have to do until I find my YiGe again!

#2 - Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans (RM12)

During the MCO, I also couldn't find my favourite brand of fried dace with salted black beans or dou si yue (it's some China brand, don't know the name as everything is written in Chinese).

I've eaten Golden Maid Fried Dace, Eagle Coin Fried Dace and some other brands I don't even bother to remember the names as none were able to match or even come close to the standard and taste of my favourite one.  Even my sister-in-law got me one brand to try during the MCO (that one actually turned out the worst).

#3 - Pork Meatballs (RM11 for 15)

These pork meatballs that I discovered from my neighbourhood pork butcher shop has become a staple in my freezer.  They sell a variety of pork meatballs but these ones (which looks more homemade because of their uneven texture) are my favourites and they come either plain or with spring onions.

I use them regularly in soup noodles (I even add them to instant noodles) + it's also a great addition as the meat component in soups.  Can be kept frozen for a long time, it's so convenient you don't even have to bother to make your own meatballs.

#4 - Bacon (RM13 for 250g)

This was a very recent find when I was looking to get more meatballs from the same shop and found them in the chiller.  I was shocked to find out that it cost only RM13 which works out to be about RM5 per 100g or RM1 a slice (you get 10 -16 slices per pack depending on the size of each slice).

Taste-wise, it was just like any delicious, pricier bacon I've been buying from supermarkets.  Now I know where I can get my hands on some good tasting, cheap bacon...and you bet there'll be more morning breakfasts like these in the future...hehe! ;)

#5 - XO Shrimp Sambal (RM7.50 for a 230g bottle)

But the gem of a find has to be this XO Shrimp Sambal that I first saw sold by my vegetable vendor at my neighbourhood small wet market right after the MCO.  I don't know what's the actual name of this sambal (since it's written in Chinese), so I just look for the distributor's name (Siang Sheng Food Enterprise) to confirm it's the same one.  Warning: Comes with MSG!

During the MCO period, I noticed quite a few vendors selling ready-made sambal and pastes (to ease cooking convenience).  I bought from the vegetable vendor for RM10 a bottle but never saw him sell it again at his stall.  Anyway, I found it later at my neighbourhood vegetable/fruit shop at only RM7.50 and bought my second bottle (now I know where I can replenish stocks).

The XO Shrimp Sambal is fragrant and delicious, savoury and sweet, and only slightly spicy (you can certainly taste the hint of sweetness in the sambal).

The sambal can be used in many ways....or eaten just straight from the bottle.  Great as dips too.  I use it as a (quick) chilli paste substitute for my fried ikan bilis and potatoes.

It goes really well with fried rice.  I stir-fry some of it together with the fried rice and finish by sprinkling even more on top.  So good.  I even sprinkle on bought fried rice.

When I'm lazy to pound my own chilli paste, I use it to fry vegetables too....like french beans and kangkung. For a super quick vegetable dish, I would even sprinkle them on top of steamed okra or eggplant.

And best of all, you don't have to pay over RM50 (!) for a super expensive bottle of say Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce (220g) when this makes for a worthy, tasty and much cheaper substitute. ^o^

Let's face it, some of us have never cooked as much as we've done in our lives since the MCO was enforced on us, so we look for quick and easy alternatives to help with our cooking, more so when some of us aren't great cooks (I need all the help I can get + there'll be some tired days of cooking when we just want to put something fast on the table).

The MCO forced me try new alternatives which I wouldn't have done under normal circumstances if not for the MCO.  I would just stick to my usual try and tested brands.  I'm glad to have discovered some new alternatives because of the MCO.  Have you found any new foodstuff (as a result of the MCO) that you liked too? ^_~