Time to make ‘kuih bakul’

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JOHOR BARU: He is a property and real estate agent, but in the weeks before Chinese New Year, B. Balamurali puts aside everything to produce a festival favourite – the “nian gao”, commonly known as “kuih bakul”. 

His interest in making the cake began more than 10 years ago when he was employed at a biscuit company, which made Chinese foodstuff such as “tau sah peah” and “ang ku kueh”. 

“When the company went bankrupt in 1998, I started my own biscuit factory but it did not work out,” he said at his temporary bakery at a Taman Johor Jaya shoplot here. 

Indian-made: Balamurali and a worker P. Amala checking the quality of the ‘nian gao’. About 4,000 pieces are produced daily six weeks prior to the Chinese New Year.

“So, I decided to work full-time as a property and real estate agent. But for six weeks every year, I concentrate on this.”  

Balamurali also employs a fresh batch of workers every year, because it is not a full-time business venture.  

“It is a bit difficult because I have to train new people every year. But I like doing this,” he said.  

Anyone passing by his bakery will not fail to notice the group of Malay and Indian workers making the traditional Chinese cake that comes in either banana-leaf or plastic packaging.  

During the six weeks, he has about 40 workers working on two shifts from 9am to 4am. 

“We produce approximately 4,000 of ‘nian gao' every day,” he said.  

Balamurali said 80% of his “nian gao” is exported to Singapore while 20% is sold to retailers in Johor and Kuala Lumpur.  

The 39-year-old father of four said the banana leaf “nian gao” is how the cake was originally made.  

Balamurali said the cake, if stored in an icebox, could be kept for up to a century.