Kee Wah vs Wing Wah - Battle of the Wife Cakes

Ding...Ding.....Ding....it's the Battle of the Wife Cakes.....(not wives, ya...lol)!  Wife Cake, or otherwise known as lo por paeng, is a traditional Chinese pastry with a flaky and thin crust and a filling made with candied winter melon, almond paste and white sesame.

I was first introduced to this wife cake when my previous boss brought them back from his business trips to Hong Kong (rather regularly, I might add) for all his staff.  I thought they were very good then until my neighbour's son got me the ones from Kee Wah Bakery that tasted even better.

So, during a recent trip by a family member to Hong Kong, I asked if she could buy me some Kee Wah's Wife Cakes.  She not only got me a box of Kee Wah's wife cakes but she also got me the other famous brand, Wing Wah's Wife Cakes, as well to try.  Now that I can eat them side by side, let's see which I liked better.

First difference I noticed of Kee Wah's wife cakes was that the packaging has changed.  Previously, you'd find 8 pcs of wife cakes in a box (not individually wrapped but separated by a piece of waxed paper) but now each piece of wife cake is indivdually wrapped (and there's only 6 pcs in a box).  Kee Wah's wife cakes have a very short shelf life, they're good for about a week only (my sister-in-law bought her stock on a Friday and it was good until the next Friday only).

Wing Wah's wife cakes, on the other hand, has a much longer expiry date which is about a month from date of purchase.  They too are individually wrapped with six in a box.  For those of you who want to know the origins of this wife cake, you'll find the story inscribed inside the colourful box packaging of Wing Wah (although you'll also find different versions of the story online).  Legend has it that back in feudal China, a daughter-in-law offered herself for sale in return for money to cure her ill-health father-in-law.  In a desperate attempt to redeem his spouse, the husband created a gourmet cake for sale in the bazaar.  His product did pay off with the proceeds saved.  The couple was able to get together again and lived happily ever after.  His recipe then spread from place to place, winning the name "Wife Cake".

Visually, you can tell them apart easily as Kee Wah's wife cakes are much bigger and they have a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.  With such short expiry dates, I usually store them in the fridge so that I have more time to finish them.  I would reheat them before eating by toasting them in the toaster oven for a few minutes.  I find that Kee Wah's wife cakes become even more fragrant after toasting.

I love that their filling of sweetened winter paste isn't too sweet.  The pastry was nicely flaky but thought it was slightly thicker now than it was before.  Taste wise, although still good, I thought they weren't as good as before (and by that I mean they didn't bowl me over like before).  I wonder if it's because they used to reach us in a fresher state than now.

Previously you won't find them individually wrapped with a tiny silica gel or oxgen absorber packet to keep the food fresh longer which indicates that they could have been made for sale more in advance.  Maybe that has affected the taste...I don't know, though still pleasurable, it didn't give me as much pleasure as it once did.

In comparison, Wing Wah's wife cakes are smaller but the crust is also a little thinner than Kee Wah's.

The winter melon paste seemed a little thicker and just a wee bit sweeter than Kee Wah's but I felt it wasn't as tasty.

Wing Wah's wife cakes are also similarly individually wrapped with silica gel to prolong freshness.  As I'm trying this for the first time, I do not know how they were packaged before.

And then you have the locally made ones that can't hold a candle to the ones from Hong Kong in terms of taste and texture.  I've tasted quite a few and all of them came up short.

So, in the Kee Wah vs Wing Wah Battle of the Wife Cakes.....the winner (for me) is Kee Wah.  I still prefer the taste of Kee Wah's wife cakes over Wing Wah's as I thought the winter melon filling of Kee Wah's tasted better.  Not only that but the addition of sesame seeds in Kee Wah's version made the pastry that much more fragrant. ^o^

I'm sure we all have our own preference and both brands (Wing Wah since 1950 and Kee Wah since 1938) are long established brands and Singapore now seems to be the nearest route where we can get our hands on their baked goods.  However, I read somewhere that Kee Wah's wife cakes are not available for sale there while Wing Wah's wife cakes are available only periodically (unconfirmed).  So, if you love to eat this lightly sweet flaky pastry, be sure to cart some home when you next visit Hong Kong.  Wing Wah best describes it.....a Chinese delicacy with a timeless flavour! ^_~

Snack Attack - Danisa Butter Cookies from Denmark

When my neighbours returned from an overseas trip some time back, she gave me a container of cookies.  I wouldn't say that cookies is one of my favourite snacks but when my neighbour gifts me a can, I accept and appreciate their thoughtfulness.  Anyway, I have a snacker at home! ;D

I've not had this for a long, long time...and this can of cookies brought back memories of yesteryears when this long-standing brand of biscuit was much sought-after.  They were the premium cookies then...and carting home a can was considered a luxury (then) coz they were deemed pricey (back then) but now they're what we'd refer to as nothing special, cheap highly affordable, ordinary cookies when compared to the much more expensive artisan or home-made cookies we have now or when compared to many other pricier brands out there.

These Danisa butter cookies (are they really Danish cookies from Denmark?).  Well, they're supposedly made from an original Danish recipe and is registered/trademarked in Copenhagen, Denmark but they're now manufactured in Indonesia it seems.  No matter, as long as they still have the same good taste. ^o^

My husband says he'd rather eat these Danisa butter cookies anytime over the ridiculously priced Jenny's 4 mix butter cookies from Hong Kong.  Jenny's butter cookies are now available locally in Isetan, at their flagship store in Bangsar Shopping Centre and via their online website if you're interested (I think they retail at around RM80 a can).

You can probably get 4 cans of Danisa cookies (around RM20 for a 454g can compared to the price of RM80 for a 320g can of Jenny cookies)! :P  Luckily my husband has humble tastes....lol.

Ooo...cheap, buttery.....and delicious! ;)  I quite like these cookies myself too... baked perfectly to a golden crisp with a great buttery aroma (for its price).  There are five shapes in total including the cute-looking pretzel-shaped biscuit (I believe these shapes have not changed over the years).  My pick would be the ones without the sugar sprinkles on top...especially the one with the embedded dried raisins.  

Well, we all need a little help from our "friends" (cookies or otherwise) to power us through the weekends and holidays, don't we?  Hehehe!  It's a great tea time snack......not with tea though but with a good cup of black coffee (for me).

This simple, traditional, nostalgic brand of cookie has stood the test of time.  This tells us that something simple, if done well, will have its share of fans staying true and loyal for years on end (since the 60s?).  For the simplicity of it......for simple enjoyment.......simply bliss! ^_~

Snack Attack - Irwins Salted Egg Products

I had my first taste of Irwins salted egg potato chips and salted egg fish skin some years back (you can read about it here).....and I was hooked alright.  They've since introduced more salted egg products and flavours.

The bag says it all......#DangerouslyAddictive...but they forgot to mention #DangerouslyExpensive too!

Irwins salted egg products are not only #DangerouslyAddictive, they're #DangerouslySweet as well.  So, don't go overboard with these snacks (harder said than done, right?).  I restrained myself and only had a few pieces (like less than five of each type) because of the sugar content, so my family finished the rest.  After all, I'm not the biggest snacker in my family (that accolade belongs to my husband) but crispy chips is my one weakness...although I prefer potato chips over other kinds of chips.

To start, the Salted Egg Fish Skin (which I had before) had more salted egg flavour, so the overall profile is also sweeter since you'll need more sugar to balance out the saltiness of the salted egg.

This being their very first salted egg product, it's immensely popular coz everybody just wants the original.  This one must get the big packet lah since it was so good the last time.

 

As for the Spicy Salted Egg Salmon Skin, the salted egg is more muted but the spicy flavour (medium spiciness) more than makes up for the overall taste.  Although their fish skin snacks aren't fishy in taste but I will say you can't taste the fish as much as the previous salted egg fish skin probably because this one has a spicier profile.

I also liked that this one had a more savoury overall taste since there's less salted egg and you don't need as much sugar to balance out the saltiness.  I also felt that this somehow had a lighter and crunchier texture compared to the earlier salted egg fish skin, again probably due to the use of less of salted egg.  So, depending if you like more salted egg flavour which comes with more sweetness, then the salted egg fish skin will probably be a better choice for you.  For me, I definitely preferred the spicy salted egg salmon skin to their original salted egg fish skin.

If you're thinking along the lines of thin, light and crisp chips, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed with the Salted Egg Cassava Chips.

These chips are thick, so they're crunchy rather than crispy, with an unbelievable salted egg taste that Irvins has come to be known for together with the fragrance of the curry leaves.

For the Black Pepper Salted Egg Salmon Skin, the fish taste in this salmon skin comes through more than the earlier salted egg fish skin and because it's salmon skin, expect the crisp to be thicker but it's still super crunchy nevertheless.

There's a light heat from the black pepper but not overly peppery.  This being the only one that didn't have salted egg in the mix (or maybe there was a little), it was also the first one that tasted more savoury than sweet.  This wasn't as impressive.

The Salted Egg Gyoza Skin had the thickest crisp among all the ones I tried, so it had a harder but still crunchy bite compared to the rest.

The taste of the salted egg in this one is also pronounced as the bland gyoza skin will need every little bit of help to bring flavour.  This was the least endearing to me.

Overall, there's nothing negative to say about Irwins salted egg products except for the price.  As a Malaysian eating it, the price translates to three times (we can't help but convert since we're not earning SGD)....and S$8 - S$10 (or around RM30) for just a (small) bag of chips (however good) and so little of it (about 100g only) is just too much to pay for a snack.  It can be a once in a blue moon snack or, better still, if we don't have to pay for it (like these were)....lol!

After tasting six types, the Spicy Salted Egg Salmon Skin and (the earlier) Salted Egg Potato Chips turned out to be my favourites and the best ones for my palate.  The long weekend's here...time to bring out the snacks.....lol! ^.^

Snack Attack - Ice Cream Potong from Aiskrim Faizah

 This will be a short and sweet post......literally! ;D

During the last hot and dry spell, I thought I'd stock up some aiskrim potong (or ice cream in a plastic bag that's shaped like a tube) for the sweet-toothed person in my family.  I found Aiskrim Faizah on ShopeeFood and obviously it had to be from my own taman, otherwise how to survive the delivery and not become a melted mess...lol.

These Malaysian lollies bring back nostalgic memories for some...of their childhood years.  Back then, as a child, having a stick of aiskrim potong (literally means cut ice cream) was considered a luxury.  Some of us would wait eagerly for school to finish as we know the ice cream man (on a bike) will be waiting at the school gates.  Kids these days are so much more fortunate (not to mention pampered) that this cheap, low-class ice cream is now mostly forgotten and replaced with more expensive commercially produced ice cream or more decadent artisan soft serves, gelatos, granitas, sorbets and what-nots.

But these days, it's making a comeback!  There are many brands of commercially produced aiskrim potong in the market now.  Hopefully these ordinary-looking aiskrim potong can still create a little bit of magic for the kids of today.  Faizah's aiskrim potong is priced at RM1.90 - RM3 a stick, some of these are milk based, some are milk & cream cheese based, some milk & whipped cream based and some are just sugary-syrup based (back in the old days, the latter was the only choice...made from sugared syrup of various flavours).

These days, even these old-school aiskrim potong has to take on a more unique flavour and decadent look, otherwise they won't even deserve a second glance.  Although these days the commercially produced aiskrim potong is more like ice cream on a stick, the ones we had as a child came in cylindrical plastic tubes (more nostalgic packaging also...hehe).  As a child, we would tear off the top of the packaging (with our teeth) and just push the ice lollies out to lick or suck for mess-free eating.  Any melted water syrup would just be left inside the plastic tube which we can tilt to drink up the last bits.  Ah, what a childhood experience and memory!  Anyway, here were just some of the flavours I got for sweet-toothed person in my family.

Aiskrim Vanilla Cadbury

Milk & whipped cream based ice cream + vanilla flavour coated with cadbury chocolate

Aiskrim Durian

Milk based ice cream with durian musang king flavour

(I remember him mentioning about this one, so he must have liked this one the most).

Aiskrim Solero Lime

Milk based ice cream layered with calamansi lime base

Aiskrim Asamboi Jambu Kasturi

Sugar based ice cream + calamansi lime flavour + asam boi

Aiskrim Cheesy Tutty Fruity

Milk & cream cheese base ice cream layered with orange, strawberry and kiwi (bakel's?) fruit filling.

This one I got coz I was attracted by its colours...lol.

I had like two bites of the asam boi one (which I had initially gotten for myself since it'll be lightly sourish).  I could taste the tangy asam boi alright but I also tasted the sweetness of the sugar syrup base to balance out the tartness, so I passed but it was very refreshing though.  I don't know how the rest tasted like since I didn't try any of them.  But since my husband didn't mention anything untoward, I guess they were alright.

I suppose during hot and humid days, an ice-cold aiskrim potong will be so welcomed as a lifesaver to quench your thirst and give you some relief from the heat.  A bite of this aiskrim potong may evoke a childlike response of familiarity that will bring some of us back to a time past...a poignant reminder of the passing of time.  Those were the days.....simple life, simple things! ^_~

Snack Attack - Nuts & Chips from Candy House

Some will say snacks aren't specifically just for the holidays, weekends will do too.....and for some, snacking is for any day of the year...kekeke! ^_~

The name Candy House (from Aeon Taman Maluri) may sound a little off to you since I don't have anything candy or sweet to show you (though they do sell all kinds of sweet stuff like candies, jellies, gummies & chocolaty things besides biscuits, nuts, chips, wafer sticks, marshmallow, preserved stuff and sotong (cuttlefish).

Well, I'm not into the sweet stuff...but nuts and chips, I'm in.  These are just some of my loot from Candy House (Taman Maluri) via delivery (most are priced between RM4 - RM5 for 100g)....Skinless Broad Beans, Roasted Mosambi Isi, Santong Masin & Potato Sticks (Original), the last one was given by mistake when what was ordered was actually Potato Chips (Original).

From this order, the standout was the skinless broad beans (or nuts).  They were salty, fragrant and crunchy...all the hallmarks of a tasty nut (or bean)! ;)  You can also get these with their skins on....now why on earth would someone want to do that? >.<  Why go through all that hassle to have to peel the skin off, just get them skinless and pop them into your mouth lah, right? ;P

I didn't know what roasted mosambi isi were until I looked at the pic in their menu.  They're what I'd call roasted skinless chickpeas.  Ah, another skinless nut that's ideal for easy snacking.  I actually like this one but my husband says it's tasteless (that's because there's no salt). @_@

Santong masin (looks this place like to name their nuts in Malay) are actually those salted, lightly oiled peanuts that you usually find served in Chinese sit-down set dinners for people to munch away while they wait for their food (or friends & family) to arrive.  This one was decent too though the one I buy from the wet market is much better (my husband concurs).

After liking the Skinless Broad Nut from our first order, we placed our second order for the same together with Spicy Groundnut, Curry Chip (Spicy) & Chip (Spicy).  Unfortunately, these three failed to deliver in terms of taste.  The chips especially didn't have that sought-after really fresh taste.

When tauhu biscuits first hit the market, it was the rage (I think it was more than 10 years ago?).  I remember getting mine from a kiosk in Cheras Leisure Mall when I needed something to munch on while at the cinema.  It tasted lightly savoury but didn't what it was then.  Even when I kept buying them (nowadays you'd find it even in wet markets), I didn't know they were made from tofu.  Huh, can make something so crispy out of tofu?  Never mind about the making part, I'll just do the eating part! :P

I've been back for their Skinless Broad Nuts (the best thing from here) a couple of times already but there are still a vast number of items to try on the list.  Some others that attracted me include ear biscuits, kuih bangkit (tapioca cookies), golden pineapple biscuits, pumpkin seeds and (maybe) some other nuts and sotong (cuttlefish is rather expensive though) but I'd lay off the chips altogether.

The weekend is here......happy snacking? ^_*