"Mom, Where's the Tikoy?"

...asked my son. It was Chinese New Year and my son was used to seeing boxes of tikoy in the house at this time. The tikoy is made up of ground glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, lard, water, and sugar. There are two main types of tikoy - white and brown, dependent on the kind of sugar used. There are now flavored tikoy too - ube, pandan, strawberry, corn and even sugar-free. Where have all the tikoys gone? I am sure there are boxes and boxes of different flavored tikoy still being sold in the Metropolis. However, I do not mean that tikoy. I meant, the boxes of tikoy given to us by Chinese and not so Chinese friends and clients as gifts for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

When my mother and two aunts were still active in their textile business, it was a given that their Chinese suppliers and clients would literally drown us with boxes of tikoy. It came to a point that little-enterprising me wanted to sell them for profit. Of course that did not happen for my mother and aunts beat me to it - giving them to other relatives and friends. When I got married I found that my in-laws also receive tons of tikoy. Tikoy dipped in raw egg then friend in oil was served at morning and afternoon snacks until the supply runs out or gets moldy - whichever comes first.

When we moved into our new home, the tikoy tokens on Chinese New Year followed us. Hubby used to bring home at least 10 boxes of tikoy courtesy of clients. My kids learned to eat and love tikoy. Me? I was never partial to it. I prefer hopia. Years pass and the gift of tikoy keep on diminishing - sign of diminishing economics or sign of enlightenment? Whatever. Now we only have a box of tikoy. Just as well as it's sinfully fattening.

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