Meet the family making traditional rice crackers or ‘bee pang’ in Siburan for 60 years

Siew Chen (left) and Loong Fook with the traditional snacks their family makes.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, July 15: Ng Teck Kee, 76, has been making the same traditional crispy rice crackers or ‘bee pang’ in Siburan town for 60 years, a skill which he inherited from his father.

Ng revealed that his father, who migrated to Sarawak from China, had learned to make the traditional crispy rice crackers from his uncle’s family, and ever since he landed in Siburan, he has turned the snacks into his livelihood.

“After my father passed on, I inherited his business, skills, and all the tools he used to make the snack.

“Initially, when my father started here, he made crunchy deep-fried rice mixed with crushed roasted peanut, sesame, seeds and syrup. I still follow the same recipe today.

“Due to demand, customers also asked me to incorporate the black sesame seeds, and so now we also have this rice snack,” he said.

Ng with a packet of traditional rice crackers or ‘bee pang’.

Ng’s bee pang varieties are of either black sesame or white sesame seeds and peanuts.

Ng explained the main ingredient of the snack is fragrant rice, which is cooked and then dried before being deep-fried and mixed with the other ingredients.

He explained that making the snack is done manually and has to be quick as it involves a few steps.

“You have to do it fast; otherwise, the mixtures would thicken and be difficult to cut.

“The ingredients are mixed thoroughly, then scooped together while still hot and loose. It is placed on the work table to roll to the required thickness, cut to size, and packed.”

Ng mixing the rice cracker ingredients in a wok.

Ng said he would not use machinery to make the snack as he preferred the traditional manual method, as he opined that machinery is cumbersome and complicated.

Furthermore, he said that preferring traditional methods over modern machinery allows them to maintain the craft.

Ng has passed his culinary skills to his children, notably his daughter, 44-year-old Ng Siew Chen and his son, 40-year-old Ng Loong Fook, making them the third generation to do so.

“We hope to carry on with the business and pass our grandfather’s legacy to future generations,” said Siew Chen.

She said there are not many traditional makers making the snacks and followed her father and grandfather’s footsteps.

“We love what we do, and I learned that for about 30 years since I was young. It is all from the heart. All the siblings know how to make the rice crackers,” she shared.

Siew Chen said they also make crunchy peanut candies mixed with white or black sesame seeds, pounded peanuts, and Lao Po Ping or Sweetheart cake or pie.

“During the Mooncake Festival, we make mooncakes, and during this period, we do not have rice crackers,” she said.

Her brother Loong Fook said that he is glad that his family knows how to make traditional snacks, cakes, and pies for celebrations.

“All these traditional sweet snacks are excellent gifts for friends and family. People from near and far have ordered or come to our shop.

“I am happy there is still demand for traditional snacks, and I hope the culinary legacy we inherited has a place in our society,” he said.

Ng’s family shop, Goh Hak Hiang, is located at No. 45, Lorong 2, Siburan. It operates daily from 8.30am to 7pm. For more information, call 014 699 9033. — DayakDaily

Goh Hak Hiang is located at 45 Lorong 2 Saburan Town.