<<< budu boy >>>: What, Putu Halba?

“Mi, do you want Putu Halba?” she asked me.
“What? Putu Halba?”
My Ummi looked at me in disbelief. She probably thought that her step-son was a lying asshole, a Kelantanese who had forgotten his own root, who didn’t even know the existence of some fine Kelantanese delicacies. But I was saying the truth – I really didn’t know what the hell putu halba was.

Back at my house, I saw my family members savouring over something in the kitchen. I was curious and asked, “Hey, what are you having there?”
My Ummi looked at me with a smile and said, “Putu Halba lah.”

I took a bite, hoping that its taste would not be terribly awful. I put it in my mouth. After a few bites, I stopped. Oh my God, that warming sensation, that sweet taste, that rich flavour – they were irresistible! Putu Halba impressed me that I couldn’t even move a muscle. I finally said, “How I could not taste this before? It’s heavan, Ummi!”

Before leaving to KL, I wanted to taste the newly-discovered Putu Halba again. As it was very late in the afternoon, most of the stalls selling Putu Halba were out of stock. I was frustrated, but I didn’t just give up. I kept looking and looking around Pasir Mas town until I spotted a stall selling Putu Halba. Phew.

“Makcik, give me 5 putu halba now!” I said impatiently.
“I am sorry, all these are reserved for the other customers.”
“What!?” I was getting more impatient. This is critical, I thought.
“Please Makcik, don’t do this to me. I am leaving KL tonight and I really need to have it now!” The other customers were looking at me, probably wondering if I was sick of a terminal illness who was going to die any moment if didn’t eat Putu Halba.
"Please Makcik, just give me one only! Please. Just one,” I begged her further. The Makcik seller looked at me strangely and said, “All right, all right. Take this one. This is for free. My sedekah.”

Hooray! My plea was successful – I swallowed my one and only Putu Halba, extremely happily.

I might be heads over heels with the enticing menus at fine western restaurants, but deep in my heart, I am still a typical Kelantanese who is desperate for sweet, intoxicating, traditional food, like Putu Halba.