Bak Kwa 肉干 or waxed duck lovers

Do you know...

two slices of Bak Kwa can exceed half of the recommended daily salt intake for adults and contain 600kcal of energy (the same as a plate of chicken rice). 

75% of this energy is provided by the fat in the minced meat and sugar or honey which are added for flavouring.

As for preserved meats, two pieces (40g) of waxed duck contain about 880 mg of sodium (2 g salt) which is about half the recommended daily salt limit.

For non-vegetarians, Eat No more than one slice of Bak Kwa or waxed duck per day.

As for us, like last year, we're not even buying vegetarian Bak Kwa.
To read more, click HERE.

Healthy diet for a young junior

- provide a wide variety of wholegrains such as oats, brown rice, corn and wholemeal bread and pasta
- young children should consume at least 2 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, esp those high in vitamin C like broccoli, citrus fruits and strawberries

- introduce protein-rich foods such as eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds, red meat and chicken
- olive oil and oily fish contain healthy fats
- supplements should not replace a healthy balanced diet and should be given after consulting your doc

Wagyu cattle and its rearing story

- do wagyu cows listen to music daily, and eat apples and receive massage?
- world popular wagyu cattle is bred and how is the beef graded?
- a farm has about 1500 top-grade wagyu cattle (black wagyu cattle) in Kagoshima, Japan
- 7am in the morning and 7 deg C in the streets
- sun sets at 4.30pm in Autumn

- before entering the farm, everyone has to gear up from head to toe in white caps and robes
- the robes are meant to ward off external diseases and illnesses
- workers wear uniforms that they can't take out of the farm

- the Japanese shower wagyu cattle with devoted care in rearing them
- they provide the cattle with a comfortable environment to grow 24/7 and 365 days a year
- the wagyu cattle listen to music and feel relaxed, which improves the beef texture and becomes more tender
- to breed superb wagyu beef, even the water for the cattle's consumption is monitored

- the cattle eat organic hay
- grains made from natural ingredients and protein-rich wheat and feed are fed to the cattle
- the cattle is strong and healthy

Bonito and its cultivation

- Japanese use bonito to give their broth a fragrant and oceantic flavour
- 3am the freshly caught bonito arrived at the port
- crowds usually gather to bid for fish laid out there
- as the weather may get bad sometimes, and the sea is very choppy, very few trawlers will be docking
- more ships may be arriving shortly

- Makurazaki City faces East Sea
- the fishing port churns out over 120,000 tonnes of seafood a year
- 7500 trawlers and rich marine products remain abundant on rainy days
- bond herring are unique to Kagoshima and don't smell fishy at all

- there's a myriad of familiar fish being towed in, such as sardines and mackerel
- 128 kg of sardines are brought in daily
- a ritual --the fish aution-- exists with bonito the first to go on the block

- in Singapore, fishmongers use hand signs to keep their bidding prices a secret
- fishmongers in Makurazaki write their bidding prices on small wooden sticks and toss them to the wholesaler

Oysters and its cultivation

- Sendai Japan is located in Miyagi prefecture
- largest city in the Tohoku (northeast) region and the pace is not as hectic as Tokyo's
- a back garden that even the Japanese adore

- February is the best season to have oysters and strawberries in Sendai
- Matsushima Bay, Japan is well-known for breeding oysters
- it is reputedly one of the top three most scenic areas in Japan
- the lookout point gives a bird's eye view of the entrancing bay
- through the thick fog, a different kind of beauty emerges in front of one's eyes

- Matsushima Bay produces an enormous amount of oysters due to its natural environment
- salt and fresh water interface where the bay merges with the Pacific Ocean
- this is extremely suitable for the breeding of oysters
- some people claim that oysters breed best in months with the number '2'

- every country has different methods of catching oysters
- besides having a booming fishing industry, the area is a tourist attraction
- one can see a unique natural phenomenon
- from February to 15 Aug every year flocks of seagulls converge there

Trout and its cultivation

- Sendai Japan is located in Miyagi prefecture
- largest city in the Tohoku (northeast) region and the pace is not as hectic as Tokyo's
- a back garden that even the Japanese adore

- trout require more time and effort to breed and hence not as common as salmon
- the reason has to do with its habitat
- people have said trout breeding farms in Fukushima, Sendai are worth a visit
- trout can also be found in Singapore but people seldom eat trout as it's more expensive
- salmon and trout belong to the same family

- the water is fresh and clean and is pumped from Abuguma-gawa
- red trout eggs are housed there and they have high sanitary requirements
- outsiders are barred from entering lest the trout eggs are attacked by bacteria
- a trout reared for approximately 3 years is about 70 centimetres long and weighs 4 kg
- it can fetch about 8000-9000 yen (S$140 or S$35 per kg)

- such expensive food is not sold on a massive scale
- the fish farm goes by orders to catch the trout, slaughter, and pack them in ice before delivering them to restaurants
- it can be made into sashimi
- it has less fat than salmon and has a lighter taste
- the flesh is chewy and refreshingly sweet

Pork and its rearing story

- Victoria is situated in southern Australia with co-existing old and new buildings, an urban charm and elegant streets
- Melbourne is touted as the Garden City
- the city is covered in greenery and has been ranked as the most liveable place on Earth
- also a city of fashion with European influence
- apart from special tourist attractions, traditional and new cuisines can also be found here

- Victoria is a key economic hub of Australia
- the culture there is a blend of new and old but not many people may know that that place produces plenty of great food
- Australian pork sold in supermarkets in Singapore
- take 2-hr bus ride from Melbourne to a pig farm located in north central Victoria that is rearing pigs specially for Singapore

- pig farms disappeared from Singapore more than 2 decades ago
- the pig farm exports 20,000 pigs a year
- it's been around for 10 yrs and covers 12.5 square metres
- Singapore sets high sanitary requirements for imported pork and the farm also takes stringent sanitary precautions
- one is to produce the H1N1 vaccine pass and put on vaccination gear before entering the pig farm

- the pigs are transported there once they're 6-8 weeks old (weigh ~18kg) till 20 weeks old (~90kg - 95kg) and ready for export

Lobster and its cultivation

- a lobster takes 6-8 yrs to grow to 1 pound
- there's a variety of lobster species found in the world
- normally in warm ocean beds or near the shores
- some hide deep in the sea and are hard to catch

- lobsters are the kings of seafood
- Singaporeans regard lobsters as exquisite seafood cuisine
- they're also fairly rich in nutrients
- every 100g contains 18.9g of proteins
- can lobsters be found only deep in the sea?

- located at Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia is a small town called Apollo Bay
- there's a port with a lovely mountain and sea view and fishing boats moored at sea
- southern rock lobster live in rocks which are 2-3 metres or even 200 metres deep in the sea
- cages are used to catch lobsters and bait is put inside (usually fish meat or any kinds of meat as lobsters eat practically everything)
- haul the cages back after 24 hours, the cages may or may not have lobsters
- this is repeated until lobsters appeared in the cages (the longest wait is 4 days)

- fisherman catch other fishes or read while waiting using nets
- the boat will set sail after the cage is dropped into the sea
- there's a pink buoy to mark the location
- there may be 1-3 (about 2kg each) lobsters in the cage