Garlics, an indispensible ingredient4May2015

Garlics, an indispensible ingredient

Before GST, when that sundry shop was around and in operation, they shopkeepers, all are the family members, I think, maintained the price of the garlics or all the items sold at that very small shop at the range that could attract and keep the buyers like me to return to the shop again and again.  The garlics were always sold at RM3.50 – RM3.80 when the stalls at the central market were sold at RM5.00 -- RM 5.50 at more or less the same size.

In face of the impact of GST, the shopkeepers decided to close down for good.  I almost always bought the garlics, onions big or small, green beans, red beans, peas, soya beans, flour, …….at the shop because the prices of these items were usually lower. 

But for garlics, I bought a sack of 20kg for the first time in October last year hoping to get a better deal in terms of quality and price.  However, I found that there was about 20% mixed up of the lower grade with the high grade.  Besides, I found that the garlics had become soft towards the end.  Hence I held on for the time being whether to buy the whole sack of 20kg or not.

Thus yesterday, I went to the central market and I remembered I needed some garlics. This humble herb was sold at RM6.00 – RM7.00 a kilo.  Alamak!  I would have scrapped off this herb if not because of its nutritional and medicinal values.

Besides, my husband sees taking a clove of garlic a must in a meal at least to take in a raw state as he believes it can kill the germs or worms that may exist in his digestive system.  Since, I only had a few bulbs at home, I decided to buy some though I know the stallholders at the central market usually sell the goods at much higher price than that shop that has gone forever.

When I was small, my mother never cooked vegetables with garlic.  She almost always cooked plain vegetables without adding any garlic or ikan billis.  I only remembered she cooked brinjal which she grew herself with some pork and pork oil and the taste was fantastic/superb.  I always miss this dish and have tried to cook as much like her. 

Ya, after GST, the price of garlic have gone haywire as far as the garlic sold at the central market are concerned.  I am not sure about the price of garlic in supermarket.  To solve the problem, I might think of buying the whole sack again and share out with some friends if we can get better deal in terms of price and quality.

No matter how hard our political thugs bark about that GST would not affect the prices of the goods in general,  we people know better the hard facts we have to face with the implementation.  We know all the minister enjoy the better pay and allowances by n% to care about how many % of the price hikes of the endless number of items to count.