Temple volunteers gathering like a family reunion to make ‘mi ku’ at Tau Bo Keong Temple in Kepala Batas.
ALMOST golden in colour when they glisten in the sun, fresh mi ku (steamed buns) are made with precision and dedication at the Tau Bo Keong Temple in Kepala Batas, Penang.
Over 120 devotees roll up their sleeves to make 6,000 of these buns a day, a process that lasts more than 12 hours daily.
Their dedication can be seen as they knead dough by hand as well as using machines.
Made according to a four- decade-old recipe, the dough is divided into exact portions of 280g before the volunteers, mostly local women, shape them into oblong buns.
The bun dough is then left to rise in a heated container for an hour before the buns are removed and steamed to perfection.
The buns are placed on racks to rise, with 6,000 buns made in a day. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
The steamed mi ku are sold for charity during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
Temple secretary Wooi Kooi Pong said this had been an annual tradition since the temple was built almost 45 years ago.
“One of the aunties shared her recipe that we have been using to make mi ku for the festival every year since.
“We start a day before the festival and will stop making buns only on the 10th day of the festival.
“All the 6,000 buns we make in a day are sold here, with the proceeds going to the various charitable causes,” he said when met at the temple.
According to Wooi, the day starts at 6am with the mi ku made in batches until 10pm during the 10-day festive period.
“First, we mix the dry ingredients of flour and sugar.
After being left to rise in a heated construction container (background), the buns are steamed to perfection.
“Then, we add water and oil, and blend all the ingredients in an electric mixer.
“The resulting dough is then shaped into balls weighing around 280g each.
“The fun part then starts for the 40 ladies who sit and carefully shape the mi ku into oblongs,” he said.
The buns − still in dough form − are then placed on racks and left to rise in a large construction container with an interior temperature set to 40C°.
“We used to leave the buns out in the sun to rise but this process took hours, and we would always have to be wary of rain.
“Since we installed the container in 2018, we have been able to increase our production from 4,000 to 6,000 mi ku a day.
“We now finish one tonne of flour per day,” he said.
Once the dough has risen, the buns are steamed.
“They are then covered in cloth to contain moisture and left to cool for a bit before being sold,” he said.
The yellow hue of the buns comes from food colouring that is brushed on top of each one, he said.
He added that the yellow colour represented the deities.
Speaking about the many volunteers, Wooi said they came to serve at every stage of the process and happily turned up as though it was a family reunion.
“Some of the stages, such as the dough making and shaping, often end earlier, but everyone alternates between tasks while others take breaks,” he said.
With each bun sold at RM4.50, Wooi said sale proceeds would go to various charitable causes which included old folk’s homes and helping the needy with rations.
“This is one way of helping us raise funds.
“It is only done once a year, during this festival,” he said.
Celebrated mainly by the Chinese community, the festival is an anticipated event in Penang where thousands of devotees pay homage to the Nine Emperor Gods, Taoist deities that are believed to bring prosperity and blessings.
The festival has begun and will end on Oct 11.
