Some food items are classics and inevitably stay in your mind and heart even though, sadly, they are no longer in production. These classics sometimes lead to sleepless nights as you think about the taste and your desire to try it one last time. Lucky for all of us, some are making a come back! So, let us keep our fingers crossed and hope that this time, they are here to stay.
In conjunction with the 60th Merdeka celebrations this year, Butterkicap would like to take this opportunity to walk down memory lane and celebrate all the food that we used to have and still do enjoy to this day while looking back at all the progress we have achieved in all aspects of life as one united nation.
Before we make this article sappier and more melodramatic, let’s get started!
1. Ice Ball
One of the best things that has ever been created in Malaysia is of course the ice ball or ais kepal. Making it is really simple. Shave some ice, ball it and pour some flavoured syrup on top. During its heyday, it was flavoured with gula melaka syrup or flavoured sodas like sarsaparilla.
Today, it is making its coming back with a wider variety of flavours such as asam boi, blueberry and raspberry. However, it can only be found in certain areas such as the Lost World of Tambun, Perak and 70’s Ice in Penang. The more reason for you to travel to these places, right? All in the name of food pursuits.
2. Bottled Sodas
During the 50s up to the early 90s, sodas were sold in glass bottles rather than in cans. Back then, they had interesting soda flavours and brands such as Sarsaparilla, Kickapoo and Ice-Cream Soda. While you may still be able to get these flavours today, there was one soda flavour that is currently no longer in production. .
This soda was called Green Spot Orange Soda. When asked to describe the taste, most of the Green Spot fans said it is less bubbly, more orange-y and tastes better than any of the orange sodas we have today. So, Green Spot manufacturers, please bring it back!
3. Kandos
Our next item on the list is candy Kandos. Kandos, now known as Crispy chocolate was popular among children born between the 60s and 70s. For them, Kandos was a rare treat which could only be enjoyed on certain occasions.
We can only imagine the sadness that resulted when Kandos stopped production. Even though it now goes by a different name, there is just something special about the taste and look it had back then. How nice if we too have a chance to try it now.
4. Ice-Cream Sandwich
Ice-cream sandwiches were created for the sole purpose of giving maximum pleasure on a budget. What makes ice-cream sandwiches so special is that you can only get them from the ice-cream sellers who would roam about in residential areas.
To make an ice-cream sandwich is easy. Just place one scoop of ice-cream between two hot buns or wafers, sprinkle the ice-cream with ground peanuts and voila, it is ready to be consumed.
If you can’t locate these wandering ice-cream sellers, Walls’ has come up with its own version of ice-cream sandwiches at only RM 1.90 per piece. So, get yourself an ice-cream sandwich and let your inner child come out.
5. Gula-Gula Udang
Imagine being able to eat our chewy sweets and candies whole, without the whole fuss of removing the wrapper and plastic just to get to the sweet treasure inside. In fact, we did have such an ingenious creation not so long ago. The sweet existed in the 60s and was called, ‘Shrimp sweets’ or gula-gula udang in Bahasa Malaysia. The unique thing about these sweets were that we could eat the whole thing, after removing just the thin outer wrapping paper.
The plastic sheet covering the sweet was actually made of rice paper which would just dissolve in our mouth. There is a thrill in that! Don’t kids sometimes like to eat paper?
6. Sagun
The last food item on our list is the little known sagun. Sagun was actually shredded coconut shavings covered with gula melaka syrup wrapped in a long straw-like striped package. Sagun was a great snack to eat but it does take a lot of effort and time for you to actually eat the whole thing.
There is a special swish-and-flick skill needed to enjoy the experience of eating the sagun. Yes, it’s a candy that requires special skills to eat. We imagine it being kind of like a game kids would spend hours being focused on. But unlike the ipad, there is literally a sweet reward for playing well.
Missing the old days now, aren’t we? Don’t be too sad, though. While some of these foods may no longer be around or have been altered to suit the changing times, many are making their way back. Just keep these classics close to your hearts and share your fond childhood food memories with us.
Goodbye and thank you, classic food of the 60s and 70s. Many may not be around anymore, but we, especially our parents, will always remember you. Happy Merdeka, everyone!