Cover Photo: Unsplash
This Halloween, we dish out the ominous tales behind six tasty treats and drinks around the world

Yau Char Kwai

The name of this beloved breakfast, teatime (or anytime) deep-fried snack in Malaysia, Singapore and China actually translates to 'oil-fried devils'. If you've ever wondered why that's so, the woeful tale behind it actually dates back to the Song Dynasty, when a general named Yue Fei fought against the invading Jin Dynasty. Considered a patriot by the people, Yue Fei was ultimately executed by his political rival, an imperial minister named Qin Hui. 

Related: 10 Famous Malaysian Street Foods Craved Worldwide

At the news of Yue Fei's execution, a pastry cook in Hangzhou placed two strips of dough together and deep-fried them as a symbol of the treacherous Qin Hui and his wife: two 'devils' frying in boiling hot oil. We'll be honest: the story does little to dampen our cravings for this highly addictive pastry.

Depression-era pie

Despite its sobering name, the Depression-era pie (or water pie, as it's also called) is a true testament of resourcefulness amidst scarcity, like most Depression-era recipes that have made their way back into modern-day kitchens.

See also: The Pre-War Recipe Behind This Ipoh Restaurant's Iconic Towing Char Siew

Made from just six ingredients, this simple pie allowed Americans to save the little money they had and stretch their food resources into a dish that was easily shared. The pie is made with just water, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, butter, and a pie crust.

Bloody Mary

Tatler Asia
Photo: Unsplash
Above Photo: Unsplash

While it is believed that this blood-red brunch cocktail is named after the infamous Queen Mary Tudor and the gruesome executions she ordered, some sources traced the origins of this drink back to France-based Ferdinand Petiot, who started experimenting with vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, lemons, and more unique ingredients at a bar in Paris. Petiot eventually moved to New York to work at the King Cole Bar at the St. Régis Hotel where the red drink became known as the Red Snapper.

Related: 8 Halloween Cocktail Recipes For The Spooky Season

It's also been said that American comedian and actor George Jessel first used the term one morning when nursing a hangover with whatever was available: potato vodka, tomato juice, and spices. A socialite named Mary Brown Warburton also tried a glass of this concoction, spilling it on her white gown and reportedly exclaiming: "Now you can call me Bloody Mary!" 

Dead body soup (Cheonggukjang-jjigae)

Also known as Cheonggukjang-jjigae, this Korean fermented soybean paste stew is delicious, hearty, and pungent enough to get the neighbours calling the police. We're only half-joking.

See also: 10 Dishes And Drinks Often Featured In Korean Dramas

It's been rumoured that the soup's 'Dead Body' moniker first caught on in Germany, where a group of Korean students cooked it in their apartment. The strong aroma supposedly prompted the neighbours to call the police for fear that there was an actual dead body next door.

Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)

Said to be one of the hottest peppers in the world, the Ghost Pepper originates from Northeastern India and Bangladesh. One explanation for the Assamese name 'bhut' or 'ghost' by the Bhutia people of that region is that the pepper's intense heat sneaks up on you unexpectedly.

More: 4 Recipes From Manolo Blahnik's Recipe Trove

 

Husband-killers (Nom lae ai)

You might wonder why this harmless-looking popular dessert in Cambodia bears such a morbid nickname. For the most part, it is known as nom lae ai: a glutinous rice flour ball filled with gooey palm sugar and dusted in coconut shavings. Khmer legend has it that this sweet treat was served by an eager young wife to her husband, who wolfed down the piping hot and sticky treats, choking suddenly on one of them and dying on the spot.

Related: The Colourful History Of Malaysian Kuih-Muih

The subsequent phrase, nom somlap pdey, literally translates to 'dessert that kills husbands'.

Topics