Cili Api Centil - Local Bird's Eye Chilli

Most of the bird's eye cili (Capsicum frutescens) you get in the supermarket in Malaysia are from Thailand, the dark green, slim and rather long ones. Whilst they are hot, the heat isn't that intense and is considered to be on the lowest rung for bird's eye chilli varieties. There is another variety that is also common locally, and spicier than the Thai version - this is the Cili api Centil. It is also marketed as Cili padi Kampung.

The fruit of Centil is usually 1 - 1.5 inches long, but can go up to 1.8 inches long and they are about 0.5 inches wide at the base and tapers to a point. This gives the chilli a pyramidal bullet-shaped appearance. The unripe fruit are a light, shiny green and matures to a slightly darker green before turning brownish (red plus green) and then to a bright red colour when fully ripened. They are supposedly a productive variety but susceptible to leaf curl disease caused by viruses.

Some things are pretty in pink - Pink Crinums

I saw these lovely pink Crinums at Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. they were planted in the park on areas that are wet (like edges of streams and ponds). Crinums as a genus have fruits that are adapted for water dispersal and many species can stand being inundated with water for some time. Too bad we don't see many of these being planted here, probably more suited to cooler climes.

The pink flowers are sweetly fragrant.

Pretty in pink - they were grown in spots where the ground was moist and somewhat muddy.

Ampang is alive with the Nine Emperor Gods Festival

The festival is here, and with the invitation of the Nine Emperor Gods, the Nan Tian Gong Temple at Ampang is bustling with devotees and curious visitors. For the attraction here is not only the devoted, but also people looking for strange, new and hippest things around in the market.

This year, let me introduce two 'hot' vegetarian food items found at the Ampang Nine Emperor Gods temple fair to you:

1. Pokeball ice-cream: With all the fuss about Pokemon Go, it isn't surprising that there were at least two stalls selling Pokeball ice-cream. Basically ice-cream in a Pokemon ball, with a cute little Pokemon inside, hehe.
   
2. Mushroom buns: These shiitake mushroom lookalikes are actually buns with a cream of mushroom and cabbage filling. Priced at RM4 each, they are surprisingly delicious albeit a little pricey.
   

So if you are free over the weekend, do drop by and get ready to be hit by the Pokemon craze, try a mushroom or two (perhaps you will grow big or maybe small) and be swamped by the usual swarm of people, smoke and sounds of the festival this year.