Blessed Food Reminding Me of Home

I was born in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. I was raised all over due to my dad’s job constant relocation. When I was growing up, I always made time to go home to my little hometown at least twice a year. There were two things I enjoyed most when I stayed at my grandma’s house; first, the tea, and second, the mung bean porridge with coconut milk. I moved away from home to the US right after high school. There were many times during the early years when I really really really miss home.

But praise God that He created tea and mung bean.

The first thing I ask whenever somebody visits from my country would be to bring me the same tea my family brews in my grandma’s house.

A few years ago, my mom taught me how to make the mung bean porridge with coconut milk. I settled for nothing less than perfection. I tried a few different ways of making it. I measured the timing of putting the ingredients. I also measured exactly how much ingredients should go in. I was able to nail it to perfection. Alleluia.

Now whenever I miss home, I make either one of those two things. I close my eyes, enjoy the aroma of the tea or the mung bean, put a little taste in my mouth, and I am somewhere else.

Thank you Lord for creating Tong Tji Tea and Mung Bean with Coconut Milk. Thank you Lord for creating my tongue to connect to those things. Thank you Lord for creating my emotions and imagination that can take me to a place on the other side the world.

As I am sipping the tea right now, I offer this enjoyment as a prayer to a bestfriend whom I miss much. Blessed is Your name forever!

Bro Chan