It is quite new for us to have a birthday cake, not with a conventional cake as we used to have. We had a dim sum Mentai birthday cake for my second daughter's birthday this early April.
"Mom I want a dim sum mentai cake rather than a Black Forest or any other cake for my birthday, please!"
What? Dim sum mentai cake? Please send me a pic of it. I can not imagine what it looks like.
She sent me a couple of pictures of the cake. Well, it looks yummy. She also sent me some Instagram account links of the dim sum mentai sellers. I took a look at them and tried to reach them. Most of them were not available yet, since we were still in the Lebaran holidays.
Finally, I got a reply from one of the sellers. I shortly contacted them through WhatsApp to follow up. On the D day, the seller chatted to me that, unfortunately, the packaging from plastic mica was out of stock. They will send the cake in another packaging. Well, I had no choice. So, I said yes.
So it is how the cake should look, but we got the other one. But my girl stayed happy for her first dim sum mentai. She, her sister and brother loved it. They enjoyed them and finished quickly. I was so happy as well since any kind of conventional birthday cake usually takes a long time to finish. They can last for days in the fridge.
"I want more moms..."
Dim sum
Dim sum is a typical Chinese/Cantonese meal that is eaten all over China and the world. According to Asia Society, it is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes and is usually accompanied by tea. They can be dumplings, buns, cakes, pancakes, roasted meat, and even steamed veggies. Some of the most famous dim sum in Indonesia are Siu Mai (Siomai), Har Gao (Hakau), Xiao Long Bao (Pangsit Sup), Bao Zi (Bak pao), Mantou (Mantau), Zheng Feng Zhua (Angsio Ceker), and Chun Juan (Spring Roll or Lumpia).
According to food magazine Lucky Peach, Cantonese dim sum culture began in tearooms in the latter half of the 19th century in the port city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, after opium dens were banned throughout the country. Silk Road travelers and traders would take breaks in tea houses for a dim sum meal. As they continued to travel, the practice continued to spread and gained popularity throughout the region, especially in Hong Kong.
Lucky Peach at http://luckypeach.com/guides/the-beginners-field-guide-to-dim-sum/
Mentai
"Mentai" (明太) is a Japanese word that refers to salmon roe, also known as ikura, which is a type of fish egg commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is often served as a topping for sushi and other dishes. The word "mentai" is sometimes used more broadly to refer to any type of fish roe in Japan. Mentai" also refers to pollock roe, specifically the salted and cured version, often with chili peppers and garlic added. In Japanese cuisine, it's commonly referred to as "mentaiko" (明太子), meaning "pollock child" or "pollock egg".
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-mentai-in-Japanese
The term "mentai" is also sometimes used in Indonesian cooking to refer to a dish of rice with a mentaiko sauce, often served with salmon. Well, what we discuss is mentai sauce. It's basically mayonnaise with mentaiko (a lot of us use tobiko since mentaiko is hard to find) with other additions like soy sauce, chili sauce, or MSG, then burnt like creme brulee on the top.
Dim sum mentai, I am not sure. Is this kind of meal recognized in other countries or internationally? I guess "Dim sum mentai" may be a more recent fusion or adaptation of a dish like dim sum especially siomai with mentai topping. Indonesians are really creative. This dim sum with mentai topping then was created in the form of a birthday cake.
Though all my children love it, unfortunately I am not a fan of this cake.
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