Thursday, November 28, 2013

United Plantations Berhad - the World's Best Plantation - Part 3





A bus took is into the palm oil plantation.  Here Carl shared his expertise in oil palms, giving us an further details about the plantation. Above is a closeup of ripe (red colour) and unripe (dark colour) palm oil seeds.


It was a clean and well-maintained plantation. 



A worker using a motorized cutter to harvest the ripe palm oil, by cutting of the large groups of seeds that drop to the ground.


The seeds are then collected by workers on tractors, when the ground is hard and dry.


They also use the water buffalo to collect the harvested seeds, especially when the ground  is wet.

The end of a round of palm oil collection for one worker and his water buffalo.



A diligent and loyal water buffalo.

During collection of palm oil seeds - here the worker places the seeds on the buffalo tractor.
 

A railway 'container' is waiting to be filled with the palm oil crops.
  Whatever falls onto the plastic cover as the seeds are moved from the buffalo tractor to the container will be collected by workers to ensure no seeds are wasted.


A demonstration of how an individual branch of seeds was harvested by a special knife. 


A closeup of the knife.

Harvesting in action!


Back at the refinery station.


H.R.H. Pricess Benedikte of Denmark visited United Plantation in September 2006.

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A 'must have' Danish Bakery found in the United Plantation. Please read this  http://www.unitedplantations.com/About/UP_Bernam_bakery.asp


A sample of the scrumptious Danish baked goods produced by the bakery.  





View from the bus.


Where we said "farewell og tusinde tak for denne gang"!!


Thursday, November 21, 2013

United Plantations Berhad - the World's Best Plantation - Part 2


Then we were lead to the conference room where we learned about the history of United Plantations.


Carl was very forthcoming in sharing the journey of United Plantations- one of passionate entrepreneurship.








A map of one of the plantations


Besides Palm Oil, I never knew that United Plantations was involved in coconuts hybrids!!



I was trying the capture the whole picture..













To be continued....


United Plantations Berhad - the World's Best Plantation - Part 1



On 8 & 9 November we were invited by the Singaporean and Malaysian Scandinavian Society to participate in an educational trip to United Plantations, a Danish company that processes and cultivates oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia. We met the group in Kuala Lumpur and then traveled by bus for approximately 2.5 hrs to the United Plantations Berhad at Jendarata Estate at Teluk Intan in the state of Perak.

Click on the map of Malaysia from http://travelmalaysiaguide.com to find the exact location of Teluk Intan.

For more information on United Plantation, please go to this site. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did: http://www.unitedplantations.com


    The Palm Oil Estate taken while travelling in the bus.

 Sorry you can't see the sign clearly... this is the last sign leading to the Plantation.

 Finally, arrival at the United Plantation Berhad



 The main entrance to the research centre 


We had a very warm welcome by the Executive Director Carl Bek-Nielsen and his brother Executive Director Martin Bek-Nielsen.




 Light morning tea/coffee with a range of Danish Smoerebroed with Salmon, Danish cheese, curry puffs and kransekage (marzipan) with grapes. Something for everybody!





To be continued...











Monday, October 21, 2013

Moon Cake 2.


Recently, I have found another Moon Cake recipe. Surprisingly, the title is almost similar to my Moon Cake 1. - Single Egg Yolk Lotus Paste Moon Cake. Where else this recipe is from fellow blogger Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover called Single Yolk and Lotus Paste Mooncakes.

After I have tried this recipe, I must admit, Sonia's recipe is well written: it was easier to follow. Okay, there isn't any illustrations, but if you had done Moon Cake 1.(with the help of the illustrations, if you have the book), then  the assurance of understanding of baking  Moon Cake 2. would be easier.. 

I have bought these salted duck eggs from the local wet market. 

I must confessed from the first Moon Cake recipe, I didn't know what to expect from these eggs.  For the first time of my life (literally!!) when I cracked opening the first duck egg, I never knew the 'inside' of the salted egg was 'not cooked'; a still running fluid (egg white) came pouring out from the shelf. It It was slippery and uncontrollable. 
  
And what is Salted Duck Egg?? Please refer to below for more detailed information




Honestly, I didn't know it was like that..!!!
After the opening of the egg, try to separate the egg yolk and the egg white..if not, you have to 'pick' up the egg yolk gently with a spoon and clean through the 'small and gentle' cold running water to remove the impurity.


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The cleaned egg yolks were ready to be used.



I have made three different types of Moon Cakes.  1). the round Salted duck moon cake, 2). the  round red bean paste with toasted pumpkin seed and 3). the square coffee and tiramisu paste.  Prior using the wooden mould block, you need to oil the surface of the mould, otherwise the dough will stick on the wood and its troublesome to release the dough.



You can use the electric mixer to make you moon cake dough..no sweat!!


I am using the Single Yolk and Lotus Paste Mooncakes by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.   

Pastry:
325 g  Hong Kong Flour or super fine flour
225 g Golden syrup
75 g cooking oil or peanut oil
1/2 tsp alkaline water

Method:
1.  Sited  flour in a mixing bowl
2.  Mix syrup, peanut oil and alkaline water, slowly pour into flour.
3.  Use a spatula or hands to mix till form soft dough. Cover and rest it for 1 hour.
4. To weight 60 g each and shape to ball.

Filling:
80 g lotus paste
9pcs salted  egg yolks (brush with rice wine, steam for 5 mins) (I did not do this)
30g melon seeds, toasted 

Method:
1.  Add melon seeds with lotus paste, combine well.
2.  Weight one salted egg yolk and louts paste to 100 g each, shape to ball

Egg wash - 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp milk (lightly whisk to combine)

To make mooncake:
1.  Flatten the pastry ball and place a  lotus paste filling in the centre, wrap and seal the dough slowly by pushing them until totally cover the whole filling, slightly shape into ball again.
2.  Lightly flour the mould, knock out excess flour.
3.  Place a mooncake ball into the mould and  flatten the base with your palm.
4.  Over turn the mould to tip the mooncake out be tapping the sides against the table lightly if needed.
5.Bake  at a pre-heated oven at 180c for 7 minutes 
6.  Remove mooncakes from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 15 mins
7.  Apply egg wash on the whole mooncake and bake at preheated oven at the 170c for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.
8.  Remove mooncake from oven, immediately transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve after 1-2 days in room temperature
as to soften the mooncake skin.

To make the red bean paste with toasted melon seeds:
100g pastry
100g red bean paste + 30 g toasted melon seeds, combine well

To make the coffee and tiramisu paste:
100g pastry
100g coffee and tiramisu paste

The processor of making assorted mooncakes is the same as above

The salted duck egg moon cake

The redbean paste with toasted melon seeds


The coffee and tiramisu mooncake

The uncut mooncake

The coffee and tiramisu mooncake