While you wait…

That day, the mum was going out to stock up on food and stuff and my girl asked her to buy those crunchy crispy coated peanuts…

…that they will give you at the Chinese restaurants for you to munch while you wait for the other guests to arrive and for the banquet to start.

Unfortunately, she came home with not very good news. She said that she went to a few supermarkets and shops but she could not find any being sold at any of them.

A few days later, I happened to drop by this fresh mini market…

…and I saw these…

I wasn’t sure if those were the ones but I grabbed two packets, anyway.

Later, I stopped by one of the shops in the next lane in my neighbourhood and I saw this…

…so I bought a packet. This one sure looks more like what they used to serve at the restaurants and that got me thinking – when did they start giving us these?

I remember all throughout my growing up years, they would give us shelled peanuts…

…or kuaci (pumpkin seeds), either the black or the white ones…

Of course, it would get very messy at the end of the banquet – you will find all the shell scattered all over the table and on the floor. I suppose serving these coated shell-less ones was a pretty good idea – they would not dirty the place like that.

Going back to the ones I bought, do not be deceived by the Stars & the Stripes. They have nothing to do whatsoever with the USA. In fact, it is a Tong Garden product, made in Johore and not in China and I was in our living room that day when I spotted a packet, already open but not yet finished. I decided to take it and give it a try.

Much to my delight, it was VERY nice, a cut above the ones they give you at the Chinese restaurants!!! They did say on the pack that they’re kacang bersalut rempah, translation: spice coated peanuts and true enough, I could detect the very pleasant hint of the spices used. I enjoyed it so much that I finished all of it but no, I am not going to open the other packet – I’ll leave that to my girl and no, at the time of writing, she has not open the other pack so I cannot at this point in time say what that one is like.

More recently these days, at the restaurants, they may serve you these braised peanuts…

…instead – tasty and soft, great for the toothless, sold in cans and easily available at most shops and supermarkets. My missus will usually buy a few to keep in the pantry for anyone to open and enjoy when we feel like it.

CCL FRESH MINI MARKET is located at that end of the block to the right of the Grand Wonderful Hotel (2.309601, 111.845163) along Jalan Pipit, off Jalan Dr Wong Soon Kai, on your right if you go in via the entrance where San Len Tyres is located, just before the Petronas petrol station a short distance from Delta Mall and KIM WON CHINESE MEDICAL STORE & MINI SUPERMARKET is located along Jalan Ruby to the left of that same block of shops as Swee Hung & Bethel Hair Salon.