Thursday, December 09, 2004
The Art of Spearing Gingko Nuts
I had the pleasure of attending my nephew’s wedding dinner on the very same evening we returned from Sabah. Despite the interminable wait for my luggage at the airport baggage carousel, the need to dash home to unpack, shower and change, then having to negotiate through heavy traffic, I still managed to commit the ‘faux pas’ of arriving on time!
With a long wait ahead, I studied the menu at our table and was delighted to note that the dessert was a favourite of mine. I was determined to pace myself during the meal so I could enjoy it even more when the time came.
At last, all the guests were seated, the couple made their grand entrance and dinner commenced. Despite my resolve, I was eventually seduced by the ‘crispy chicken fried in garlic and coated in sesame seed’. I steeled myself against the Ee-fu noodles, and consumed only my allotted share. Finally, the ‘piece de resistance’ arrived! A large bowl of sticky-yam with yellow gingko nuts was placed before us, and served by the waiter. Scooping up a spoonful, I closed my eyes and savoured the sensation of warm yam melting in my mouth, before biting into the crunchy flesh of the gingko nut. Before I knew it my bowl was empty. As I stretched out for the serving ladle to refill, I realised there was still plenty of yam left but all the gingko nuts had disappeared! A movement diagonally across the table caught my attention and I glimpsed one of the guests sliding gingko nuts off a toothpick into his mouth before wiping the toothpick on the table cloth with an air of nonchalance.
The lingering sweetness in my mouth turned sour; my appetite was gone; I had been cheated! Self -absorbed, I had missed out on witnessing a high form of ‘kiasu-ism’ known as ‘The art of spearing gingko nuts but leaving the yam untouched’. I vowed to be more attentive the next time. In fact, I have another wedding dinner to attend in January. Let’s hope they serve yam with gingko nuts for dessert!
With a long wait ahead, I studied the menu at our table and was delighted to note that the dessert was a favourite of mine. I was determined to pace myself during the meal so I could enjoy it even more when the time came.
At last, all the guests were seated, the couple made their grand entrance and dinner commenced. Despite my resolve, I was eventually seduced by the ‘crispy chicken fried in garlic and coated in sesame seed’. I steeled myself against the Ee-fu noodles, and consumed only my allotted share. Finally, the ‘piece de resistance’ arrived! A large bowl of sticky-yam with yellow gingko nuts was placed before us, and served by the waiter. Scooping up a spoonful, I closed my eyes and savoured the sensation of warm yam melting in my mouth, before biting into the crunchy flesh of the gingko nut. Before I knew it my bowl was empty. As I stretched out for the serving ladle to refill, I realised there was still plenty of yam left but all the gingko nuts had disappeared! A movement diagonally across the table caught my attention and I glimpsed one of the guests sliding gingko nuts off a toothpick into his mouth before wiping the toothpick on the table cloth with an air of nonchalance.
The lingering sweetness in my mouth turned sour; my appetite was gone; I had been cheated! Self -absorbed, I had missed out on witnessing a high form of ‘kiasu-ism’ known as ‘The art of spearing gingko nuts but leaving the yam untouched’. I vowed to be more attentive the next time. In fact, I have another wedding dinner to attend in January. Let’s hope they serve yam with gingko nuts for dessert!
// posted by Speedy @ 11:30 pm 
