Sunday May 18, 2008
Searing sensation
By IVAN LOH
Pix by LEW YONG KAN
For those who enjoy fiery foods, there’s a chilli sauce which promises pure pain for the taste buds.
PAIN 100% – these are the last words you want to see on a chilli sauce bottle. But that hasn’t deterred many chilli sauce lovers from buying the Kampung Koh Koki brand.
According to the manufacturer Ku Sok Han of Sitiawan, Perak, the names may sound intimidating but he claims his sauces live up to their names.
The range: Koki chilli sauce factory owner Ku Sok Han showing the various sauces which it produces. “Pain 100%”, Ku said, “lets people know that they can expect a burning sensation when they consume the sauce.”
He explained that the sauce was the most piquant of his range of chilli sauces.
“It is more spicy than our normal garlic chilli sauce, but the effect is not as bad as it sounds,” he said with a grin.
“Not many people can take very spicy food, so I thought to warn them of my sauce’s potency,” he added, noting that this chilli sauce goes well with fried beehoon and fried chicken.
Ku explained that the Keep Fit sauce derives its name from the pint-sized, slender chilli padi used to make the dip. He quips that the name has led many to wrongly assume that it works for weight loss.
Ku said he uses the chilli padi instead of the regular chillies for making the sauces.
The Koki chilli sauce factory in Kampung Koh, Sitiawan, Perak, is operated by Kok Sok Han and his family members. “Chilli padi is well known for its spiciness. This range will certainly be a hit with those who can take the heat,” he added.
Ku’s factory in Kampung Koh, produces a variety of sauces and the village has become synonymous with the chilli dips.
Ku said he took three years to perfect the recipe of his best-selling garlic chilli sauce.
“I have lost count of how many pots of sauces I made in those three years when I was trying to get the perfect flavour,” said Ku.
“Success only came in 1982 when I found the right blend of ingredients.
“To make the chilli sauce, one needs to have the right amount of chilli, garlic, salt, sugar, modified starch and vinegar.”
Left: Kok Chee Pin filling up the bottles with chilli sauce at her father’s factory. Ku said he uses only chillies that are imported from China and India as they are cheaper and of better quality.
“The chillies from India especially are able to add extra “oomph” to the sauce,” he added.
The process of preparing the sauce takes about three hours, according to Ku.
“Every morning, the chillies are cleaned and mixed with other ingredients before cooking,” Ku said.
“The bottling process takes longer,” he said, adding that the factory can produce 3,000 bottles daily.
Ku added that he has received lots of positive feedback from his customers and there is a high demand for the sauces, particularly from Kuala Lumpur and Johor.
“I didn’t even have to advertise – the sauces have gotten a good following just by word of mouth,” Ku said.
The Koki Chilli Sauce Factory is located at 370 New Village, Kampung Koh, Sitiawan. For details, call Ku at 019-4660881.
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