An Epulaeryu to Ice Kachang

Living in, or surviving in, a tropical country entails eating cold desserts. And so I have depended on them since I was a child. 

Ice Kachang is a Southeast Asian resident’s answer to a hot day. A chilled, colourful mountain filled with grass jelly, green jelly, red bean, corn, and a chestnut-brown local fruit known as attap chee, it comforts the soul and beats the heat. Top it off with condensed milk, and one comes up with a sweet treat that ignites the tastebuds. 

Enjoy this Epulaeryu dedicated to Ice Kachang. An epulaeryu, for those not so familiar with this not-often-used poetic form, is a short verse that has food as its primary theme.

An Epulaeryu consists of seven lines in total.

1. Syllable Count: Each line follows a specific syllable count:
   • The first line has seven syllables.
   • The second line has ten syllables.
   • The third line has seven syllables.
   • The fourth line has seven syllables.
   • The fifth line has ten syllables.
   • The sixth line has seven syllables.
   • The seventh line, also known as the “dessert line,” summarizes the feeling or experience of the food and contains seven syllables.

Here is one. 

A vibrant icy mountain,

Red roses, kindling love, line its peak

Green foilage dots its ridges

Yellow sunset teases edges

Warm, white river covers its rolling stones

A rich, brown, crown at its peak

One climbs and reaches heaven.