Another craving I’ve been having these past few days is bachang nasi. That is, rice dumpling made of normal rice. Not sticky rice.

I’ve been reminded of this bachang because Ms. PF’s parents have been giving us bachang on some occasions. However, their bachangs, just like any other bachang in Singapore, are made of sticky rice. Or, what we called in Indonesia as bachang ketan.

Since my early childhood I’ve only known bachang nasi. My extended family, i.e. the aunties from both mom’s and dad’s side, are a great fan of bachang nasi. This is very typical for Indonesian Chinese from around Jakarta, especially for the families that have been in Indonesia for long (I am a 5th generation, btw). The Indonesian Chinese from Central Java, on the other hand, prefer bachang ketan.

The content of the bachang is the same. It’s just that bachang nasi comes minus the difficulty of having rice stuck to your teeth. It has better texture and less sweet taste.

Now, I tell you, this is the worst craving that can ever be. Craving for something that does not even exist in Singapore… hikssss…. Unless miraculously there is an Indonesian Chinese auntie who can make this bachang nasi as nice as my aunties do it, and remember to give me…