Hi all!

I got a note from WJ about the toxic leaves on the Bak Chang. This was a resultant of the news alert put forth by the Chinese Authorities warning of chemicals in food to make the food look better.

Now to clarify further on the pictures. It’s actually not as green as the pictures. The bigger changs are actually dark yellowish brown with a hint of green. Probably the smaller dumping is more green but even that was yellowing. When I adjusted the pictures, I didn’t tone down the green hue.

Another thing to note is that in Sarawak, people here use a broad type of pandan (screwpine) leaves to pack the Bak Chang and not the Bamboo Leaves that is used in China and West Malaysia. Only the smaller one is actually Bamboo Leaves.

According to Granny, the type of Bamboo Leaves used in China for making the Bak Chang is a type of bamboo which only grows to a short height of approximately 5 ft tall. Here, it’s Pandan (Screwpine) all the way. This explains why it’s so easy to tell when someone has eaten Chang in the room : the smell goes a long way.

Anyway, all of us at home (me, Granny, Uncle Cyril) do not eat Bak Chang regularly. It’s usually just around this time of the year. So, we’re safe and sound here.

It’s also worth noting to point out that the Chinese government has not said what actions that they will take against these hawkers. Now you know why I’m really hesitant to even visit China. Never know what will happen when I get there.