Patricia Hului

Patricia Hului is a Kayan who wants to live in a world where you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight.

She grew up in Bintulu, Sarawak and graduated from the University Malaysia Sabah with a degree in Marine Science.

She is currently obsessed with silent vlogs during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to her obsession, she started her Youtube channel of slient vlogs.

Follow her on Instagram at @patriciahului, Facebook at Patricia Hului at Kajomag.com or Twitter at @patriciahului.

Iban childbirth customs recorded by Rev William Howell

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Every culture has its own customs and taboos during childbirth.

These customs and tradition mainly have one sole purpose; to protect the mother and her newborn baby from harm.

Iban childbirth customs recorded by Rev William Howell

Here are Iban childbirth customs as per recorded by Rev William Howell:

When the time of delivery is come and while she is in travail, two or three midwives are called to her assistance to accelerate the birth of the child.

As soon as the child make its appearance into the world, a signal is given by beating a bamboo receptacle with a stick, or a brass gong is struck or maybe a gun is fired to announce that a child is born in the house.

Immediately follows a religious ceremony, a fowl being waved over the heads of all present, including the infant and its mother. The fowl is then killed and the blood is smeared on the foreheads of those present.

After the mother and the child are washed and dressed, the afterbirth is deposited in a plaited bag and hung on a tree either in their cemetery or in their tembawai (the site of their former house). The infant is sprinkled with a compound of pinang (betelnut) and lawang, is bandaged and made to lie on the spathe of an areca palm, a cloth is put round it and a Dayak sheet hung over it.

The husband or whoever takes away the afterbirth to bury or hang on tree is solemnly warned by the mother not to look to the right or to the left as he leaves the room, or the child might squint.

One of the women who assisted at the birth washes the child and cuts the umbilical cord.

She is afterwards with a parang, an entadu plate, and a long piece of the black tina (black split rattan worn around the waist).

The mother is seated with her back against the blazing fire; she drinks freely ginger tea to facilitate her discharge.

The bathing of the newborn

As soon as the umbilical cord has dropped off, the infant, for the first time, is taken to the bathing place.

The man who carries the child takes a fowl with him. As soon as they come to the bathing place the fowl is killed and a wing is cut off.

If it be a male child this wing is tied on with a piece of red thread to a spear, and if the child be the other sex this wing is tied on to an implement used by Dayak women in weaving (lelatan). On the fourth day the spear or the lelatan, as the case may be, is taken to the house.

As the mother sits with her back to the fire in the room holding in her hands the handle of a native adze (bliong) she presses it to her stomach to assist the course of nature.

For twenty-four hours she is not allowed to drink water, but if she does, it must be very little and first warmed lest fever should set in.

Her first food is light and simple. The husband goes out to get certain kinds of fish which is first smoked before it is eaten.

The mother is not allowed to sleep for twenty-four hours after giving birth to a child, not is she even allowed to lie down. One would think that after such a fatiguing time, a rest was most essential and to be deprived of it would be detrimental to health. Strange to say it is not so.

Can you imagine for the woman not being able to lie down or sleep for twenty-hours after giving birth?

Let us know what other Iban childbirth customs that you know more about in the comment box.

Read more about Iban pregnancy taboos here.

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What you didn’t know you needed to know about Sarawak’s first ice machine

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An ice machine, ice maker or ice generator is an appliance to make ice. Today, you can find a refrigerator in every household in Sarawak to store food and make ice cubes.

However in the olden days, an ice machine was even rarer than an endangered animal.

Have you ever thought who bought the first ice machine in Sarawak?

Here are five things you need to know about Sarawak’s first ice machine according to archivist Loh Chee Yin:

What you didn't know you needed to know about Sarawak’s first ice machine

1.The second White Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke was the first one to make an enquiry of an ice machine.

Charles wrote to the Borneo Company Limited London asking them to make an enquiry about an ice machine while he was in Singapore.

Here is the content of the letter which dated on May 27, 1897:

Dear Sirs,
I should be much obliged if you would make inquiry about an ice making machine for Sarawak capable of making from half a tonne to one tonne a day. Should Mr Ellis the Civil Engineer not have left, he might give you an opinion about such a machine and examine and see one in action, and have explanations how to work it from the makers.

I have long contemplated setting up such a machine to supply ice to the community at as cheap a rate as possible, and as the government have control over water, land, and also have competent engineers, we can do it more reasonably than any other party.

Three days later after writing this letter, Charles wrote another letter to his London agent, The Woodhead & Co.

He wrote, “Would you find out what kind of ice machine would us in Kuching to supply from half to one ton of ice a day. Mr Ellis, if he meets our terms could look out for the best kind and could information about working it, and also could information about working it, also could see it worked. If the Sarawak Government purchase, it would be under his superintendence. Please send a telegraph price etc.”

2.The Brooke government even announced the purchase of ice machine in The Sarawak Gazette.

Apparently, buying an ice machine in the 19th century was such a big deal that it had to be announced in the paper.

This was what was written in the announcement which was published in October 1897:

“The Government have ordered an ice machine from England, which will produce a ton of crystal ice per diem. This machine, which will be a great boon to the community, should be in working order by the end of this year.”

3.Sarawak’s first ice machine finally arrived about A YEAR after it was ordered.

Again, the Sarawak Gazette reported in September 1898 the arrival of the ice machine.

“The long expected Ice Machine arrived on the 26th June and the first tonne of ice was turned out on the 18th August.

The temperature of the brine was 30o at 9.30am on the 18th and 1½ tonnes of ice were made by the same time on the 19th. The machine was running for 28 hours to obtain this result, which must be considered very satisfactory in view of the fact that it was the first run and that, in consequence, several stoppages had to be made for adjusting the machinery. The lowest temperature reached on this occasion 19o or 13o of frost, but, we understand, that later observations show that a temperature of 11o or 21o of frost, was obtained.

Everyone in the country is to be congratulated upon this acquisition, not only for the comfort of having always iced drinks but far more for its invaluable aid in sickness and accident.

This came home to all when its value was seen in the most unfortunate accident which occurred to Mr Gibson, when ice was at once applied to the fractured part and the inflammation and pain of a broken limb very much reduced.”

4.Who maintained the ice machine?

In the beginning, the Public Works and Survey Department was in-charge of the ice machine’s maintenance.

As years passed, there was an increase in demand for ice in Sarawak.

Then, a new four-tonne ice machine was ordered in 1926 and started operations in 1927.

On the Jan 1, 1937, Sarawak Electricity Supply bought the ice plant for $30,000 and took over the ice production.

5.How much did the ice cost?

Ice was sold to the contractor at $1.00 per 100 lbs. In 1933, the figure was increased to $1.05 and again to $1.10 in 1934.

In 1935, the price was $1.13 and $1.19 in 1936. In the meantime, the sale price to the public remained at $1.25 per 100 lbs.

The selling of ice provided for a decent amount for the Brooke government in those days. For example from 1929 to 1933, the government earned $24,296.76 in profit for selling ice.

What you didn't know you needed to know about Sarawak’s first ice machine

Refrigerators for home domestic use were first invented in 1913. However, the world only saw the mass production of refrigerators after World War II. As technology had become more advanced and Sarawakians, including services such as eateries and hospitals, began to afford their own refrigerators, there was no need to have a government-operated ice machine anymore.

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10 things behind the scenes of Korean dramas you might not know

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More popularly known as K-dramas, Korean dramas are television series produced in South Korea.

Due to the spread of Hallyu (literally means Korean Wave), Korean dramas have become a popular source of entertainment worldwide.

How did the term Hallyu first come about? According to Korean Culture and Information Service South Korea, Hallyu is a term that was first coined in China by Beijing Journalists in the mid-1990s.

It was used to describe the fast-growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in that country.

The first Korean television series which opened the path for the rest of the dramas to global recognition is none other than Winter Sonata (2002).

It is widely considered to be the Korean drama that launched the K-dramas not only in Asia but also worldwide.

Starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo, it is the second part of the season-themed Endless Love series directed by Yoon Seok-ho.

The drama has all the basic elements of a successful TV drama; good-looking lead actor and actress, beautiful scenery and romantic plot circling around love and death.

On top of it, there is the melancholy music of the soundtrack to complement the storyline.

In South Korea, dramas appear on these public networks; Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) and Munhwa Broadcasting (MBC). Besides, the cable channels include Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC), Channel A, tvN and Orion Cinema Network (OCN).

Each of these broadcasting companies has its own distinct thing they are known for when it comes to Korean dramas.

For instance, OCN is known for its thriller dramas such as Voice (2017), Tunnel (2017) and Special Affairs TEN (2011).

Viewers can always expect the best from tvN. As of April 2020, it holds 33 spots of the 60 on the list of highest-rated Korean television series in cable networks.

These include Crash Landing on You (2020), Reply 1988 (2016), Hotel Del Luna (2019) and Goblin (2017).

If you are a big fan of K-dramas, here are 10 things you might not know about what goes behind the scenes of Korean dramas:

1.How Korean dramas are produced

In the beginning, these television channels originally produced in-house Korean series by themselves.

However, since the 2000s, it has been outsourced to independent companies.

With that, the production cost is split between the production company and the broadcasting channels. The broadcasting channels usually cover around 50 per cent of the expenses.

Most of the expenses go to paying the top actors and actress who are starring in the dramas. Their salaries alone could take up as much as 55% (sometimes more) of the budget.

After that the rest of the budget goes to the salaries of the less-famous actors, extras, staff and overall production.

2.The amount of PPL in a Korea drama

What if there is not enough money to cover the budget of producing your Korean drama? That is when PPL comes in. PPL or product placement is a form of advertising by displaying the brand names and corporate logos of product in the drama.

According to Youjeong Oh in Pop City: Korean Popular Culture and the Selling of Place, the Korean drama industry only began to use PPL in 2000.

The Integrated Broadcasting Act became effective in 2000. It stipulates that any broadcasting business operator may announce a commercial sponsor, who provides costs, gift, a location, costumes, vignettes, information. Under this law, the direct displays of brand names or corporate logos in the middle of a show was totally prohibited.

Then in January 2010, the Korean Communications Commission eased the regulations regarding PPL.

Under the new law, Korean dramas were allowed to display brand names and corporate logos.

Since then, we have seen perhaps too many PPLs in a Korean television series. It is ridiculous yet commendable on how skillful to see these actors casually showcasing the advertisers’ brand names, like how they are able to showcase the brand name whenever they gulping from a bottle.

There are so many Korean series slammed for their PPLs because they mostly have nothing to do with the storyline and are distracting.

Meanwhile, there are cases of actors and actresses who turned down sponsorships in a drama to stay true to their characters.

For example ,Park Bo-young in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon rejected offers from luxury clothing brands. Her character is supposed to be middle-income and doing a lot of action scenes. It would be ridiculous to see her in high-end dresses.

3.How the actors are paid

It is interesting to know how these actors and actresses are paid. One thing for sure, every cast is paid different from the other depending on their experience and popularity.

Actor Park Jun-gyu revealed in Korean talk show Happy Together, “You get paid for each episode. It doesn’t matter if you shoot 10 cuts or 50 cuts, you get paid the same amount. But some actors only appear in photos, they are not actually acting in the drama. In that case, if it is someone who is well-known, the actor gets half of the amount of their pay. When you appear as a dead person and you are covered in white cloth, you get half of the amount. However if your face appeared as the dead body, then you get paid the full amount of an episode.”

Moreover if the actor appeared again in flashback scenes even when the character is already dead, then they get paid 30-40% of their pay of an episode. For narration, the actor would get paid up to 30% of their pay per episode.

Lee Byung-hun in Mr Sunshine (2018) reportedly made USD4.3 million with USD180,000 per episode.

In 2017, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Seung-ki were both paid roughly USD110,000 per episode for While You Were Sleeping and A Korean Odyssey respectively.

Meanwhile, according to Glassdoor, a producer in South Korea could earn around USD60,000 in average per year.

4.The ridiculous amount of time to shoot a drama

Unlike other television series out there, the first four episodes of Korean series are usually shot in advance.

Then, the rest of the episodes are shot continuously while the series is being aired. Hence, the storyline could change according to ratings and the viewers’ receptions.

There are cases where the crew would be still shooting or editing the episode while the episode is being broadcast.

An example is actor Kwon Sang-woo was still shooting Queen of Ambition (2013) 30 minutes before the last episode began to air.

As the production cost is high, the production companies seek to shoot the episode in the shortest time possible.

Due to this, Korean drama production usually adheres to tight shooting schedules and unfinished scripts. Most cast and crew only have one hour to sleep when filming.

The filming of these live-shoot dramas do get postponed mainly because unavoidable causes such as health issues and accidents.

However in rare cases, there are occurrences in which the cast leaves abruptly during the production.

In 2011, Han Ye-seul was cast as the main actress in Spy Myung-wol. She plays a North Korean spy who infiltrates the South to kidnap a popular actor, only to end up falling in love with him.

Following a dispute with director Hwang In-hyuk over her working conditions, she did not show up for filming on Aug 14-15, 2011. She then flew to thr United States on Aug 16. During her absence, an episode was canceled. Instead, KBS aired a special featuring highlights of the series.

While most people criticised her action, some fans defended her saying that stressful Korean drama live-shoot system was at fault.

5.The pre-production of Korean dramas

Since late 2015, production companies started to pitch and pre-sell the overseas broadcast and streaming rights of their dramas.

This allows the production company to have enough budget for the drama and they could complete shooting before it is broadcast.

Descendants of the Sun (2016) is an example of a successful pre-production of a Korean drama.

It managed it to secure investment and distribution at the same time allowing the drama to air simultaneously in China, bringing in more profits.

However, not all pre-produced dramas are successful. Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016) and Uncontrollably Fond (2016) are some of the pre-produced dramas which suffered in low ratings.

6.Korean dramas written by famous screenwriters usually gain more hype

In American television series, there could be more than one screenwriter in-charge of the scripts and they are changeable throughout the season. Meanwhile in Korean series, it is usually written by one or one team of scriptwriters right until the last episode.

Korean drama screenwriters have better recognition and higher salary compared to Korean cinema.

Some of the famous scriptwriters are Hong Sisters, Kim Eun-sook and Noh Hee-kyung.

Hong Sisters are famous for Hotel Del Luna (2019) and Master’s Sun (2013). Kim Eun-sook is widely known for Secret Garden (2010), Goblin (2016) and The Heirs (2013).

These scriptwriters tend to have a say in their field including who to cast in their drama.

10 things behind the scenes of Korean dramas you might not know
Hotel Del Luna poster.

7.The original soundtrack is like an album on its own

What makes these Korean dramas so addictive to watch is also the soundtrack.

Unlike in American series, Korean original soundtracks (OST) are specifically made for each series. It is crucial to choose the perfect OST for each scene in a drama to maximise the viewers’ emotion.

The combination of these soundtracks of one drama could be a chart-topping album on its own.

Sometimes, the actors themselves record songs for the dramas they acted in.

For instances are Kim Hyun-joong in Boys over Flowers (2009) and IU in Dream High (2011).

8.The rise of Korean web series

A typical Korean drama has 16 to 20 episodes. For Korean historical or family drama, the number of episodes could go up to 200 episodes.

Over the years, there has been a new rage over web dramas or web series especially among younger audience.

Unlike the conventional Korean drama in which the story could be dragged on, web dramas have more fast-paced storylines. It consists about 10 episodes with around 10 minutes per episode.

It is perfect for those who are looking for quick fix of Korean drama.

The cast consists of younger actors, giving them a chance to showcase their talents.

9.The adaptation of webtoon into Korean dramas

While the Japanese have their adaptations of manga or anime into dramas, the Korean have their webtoon which is a type of digital comic.

Unlike conventional comic books, each episode of a webtoon is published on one long vertical strip rather than in multiple pages. This is to make it easier to read on smartphone or computer.

Over the years, there are more webtoon getting their real-life adaptations into Korean dramas.

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018), Gangnam Beauty (2018) and Itawon Class (2020) are among the famous adaptations of Korean webtoons.

10 things behind the scenes of Korean dramas you might not know
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim poster.

10.Exploitation of labour

On Oct 26, 2016, an assistant producer for Korean drama Drinking Solo (2016) took his own life. Six months after his death, his brother revealed his suicide note to shed some light on the circumstances surrounding his demise.

He wrote, “The phrase ‘exploitation of labour’, which the staff on set would say half jokingly and half seriously, dug a hole in my heart. We were forced to push the already tired workers into creating the results that the company wanted.”

Korean actor Gong Yoo also revealed the sad truth behind Korean dramas to Strait Times. He said, “A lot of the staff cannot sleep or rest well. They film from morning to night and if some voices and sounds cannot be captured, they have to go back to the recording studio. They can rest only after the recording is done.”

It is highly likely that the Korean entertainment industry will completely forego the live-shoot system.

First of all, it is hard to gain budget for pre-production dramas. Moreover, there is uncertainty of how well the drama would be received by viewers.

Many have argued that Korean leading actors and actress should be paid less in order to give more for the staff or hire more crews in lessen the workload.

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The Bidayuh Jagoi legend of Gunung Kapor where people turned to stone

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When A.J.N Richards was serving as an administrative officer and magistrate in Sarawak from 1938 to 1964, there was no formal training.

He learned on the job from seniors and local officers as well as leaders.

While doing his job, Richards learned a lot about local cultures and histories.

Here is a petrification legend that he picked up from the Bidayuh Jagoi which was published in the Sarawak Gazette on June 7, 1949:

After the great flood, when there were only a few people living on the land, there was a prosperous village on the bank of the Sarawak river.

In this village lived a man and his wife who had two children, a boy and a girl, and their mother was a healer acquainted with the spirits.

Although life was easy and food plentiful in those days, the time came when the man and his wife grew old and died.

The bodies were burned as the custom is and the pyre was large and dry enough to leave nothing for the pigs, which was not always the case in those days.

A funeral feast was made and because the woman who had died was a great priestess the feasting was prolonged and uproarious.

The people forgot the death of their companions and even laughed and jested at the boy and girl who were left.

The retaliation of the daughter

The girl had learned much from her mother and would not be mocked. She took bamboos and split them at the end; she splayed the split ends and bound them to make a pair of cone-shaped baskets such as are used for nesting chickens.

She gave one to her brother and they wore them as hats. Then she took a cat and went with her brother to the place of the feast.

The Bidayuh Jagoi legend of Gunung Kapor where people turned to stone
The daughter throws a cat in the middle of the celebration and they continue to laugh. Credits: Pixaby.

She cast the cat into the midst of the crowd and uttered a fearful curse against them all. They laughed again.

And the laughter was drowned in the noise of a great storm. The wind blew the rain in sweeping curtains across the land and as the storm passed and died away, there was dead silence in that place.

All the village and the people had become stone, except the boy and the girl who escaped through wearing the bamboo hats.

The village may still be seen. It is called Gunung Kapur by the Dayaks and Boring San by the Chinese, but some of the stone figures have been spoiled by weather and some inquisitive visitors.

Read more about other legends where people turned to stone:

Legends and nature of Fairy Cave Bau

The legend of Batu Puyang in Batang Ai Your Probably Never Heard

Five Sarawak legends about people turning into stones

More legends from Semabang about people turning into stone

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12 animal species names inspired by Harry Potter

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If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, then you might want to know about the these 12 species named after J.K Rowling’s famous works:

1.Ampulex dementor

Native to Thailand, this species of cockroach wasp was first described in 2014 by Michael Ohl of the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany.

This insect has an unusual behaviour towards cockroaches. As it stings its prey, it releases a toxin into the victim’s neural nodes.

The toxin then blocks the cockroach’s octopamine receptor, which is an important neurotransmitter and hormone.

This leaves the cockroach alive but docile and with impaired motility.

By prodding with its antenna, the predator then escorts its victim into the wasp’s nest, where it can be dispatched more easily.

After its discovery, the researchers decided to let the museum visitors to vote for the name.

Since the wasp’s terrifying hunting method was similar to the soul sucking dementors from the Harry Potter series, it was then given the name Ampulex dementor.

Other name options were Ampulex bicolor, Ampulex mon and Ampulex plagiator.

12 animal species names inspired by Harry Potter
Ampulex dementor.
Bernard Schurian / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

2.Eriovixia gryffindori

Did you know that The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts?

When they still alive, the four founders used to hand-pick the students for their houses.

Then they realised that someone else would have to do it after they died, so Gryffindor took off his hat, enchanted it and it became The Sorting Hat.

Javed Ahmad, Rajashree Khalap and Sumukha Javagal discovered Eriovixia gryffindori in 2015 in the Indian state of Karnataka.

They thought the spider resembled the Sorting Hat of the Harry Potter series so they named it after Gryffindor.

3.Graphorn sp.

A graphorn is a large and hump-backed creature with greyish-purple in the Harry Potter universe. It has two golden horns and can repel most spells.

In the real world, Graphorn is a genus of shield bug found in Argentina.

4.Harryplax severus

Harryplax severus is a crab native to Guam, where it is found in offshore coral rubble.

It was first collected in 1998 but only officially described in 2017.

The genus name honours Harry T. Conley, as well as the literary character Harry Potter, an allusion to Conley’s uncanny ability to collect rare and interesting creatures as if by magic.

As for the species’ name, it honours Professor Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series.

National University of Singapore biologists Jose Medoza and Peter Ng stated that Snape kept “One of the most important secrets in the story, just like the present new species which has eluded discovery until now, nearly 20 years after it was first collected.”

12 animal species names inspired by Harry Potter
Jose C.E. Mendoza and Peter K.L. Ng / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

5.Lusius malfoyi

Tom Saunders, the entomologist who described a New Zealand parasitoid wasp as part of his masters study at Auckland University had the perfect to reason to name it Lusius malfoyi.

He told The Guardian back in 2017, “The dominant narrative is wasps are bad and they sting people and they are awful. But if you look at the diversity of wasps around the world you’ll find only a tiny fraction, less than 1% are pests and problems. And the vast majority of them play a fairly critical roles in the ecosystems they live in.”

In the Harry Potter series, Lucius Malfoy is portrayed as a slimy villain. However in the final book, he redeemed himself by abandoning Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hence, Saunders wanted to redeem the reputation of wasps and hope that people understand that only a tiny fraction of them are harmful.

12 animal species names inspired by Harry Potter
Taken by Tom Saunders during masters research supervised by Darren Ward, based at Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand. https://tomsaunders.co.nz
Tom Saunders & Darren Ward / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

6.Aname aragog

Hagrid, the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts acquired Aragog as an egg in 1942.

He hid Aragod in a cupboard until Tom Riddle aka Voldemort exposed its existence. Hagrid then managed to release it into the forest where Aragog spent the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, Aname aragog is a species of trapdoor spider in the family Nemesiidae. A trapdoor spider is a common name for spiders that create burrows with a silk-hinged trapdoor to help them ambush their prey.

This species is found in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

7.Lycosa aragogi

Aname aragog is not the only species named after Aragog. When researchers at the University of Tehran found a new species of wolf spider, they realised it has undeniable similarities to Aragog.

Like the character Aragog, the Lycosa aragogi spider is an aggressive hunter.

These insects do not build webs but instead hunt at night, feeding small insects such as crickets.

Thankfully, they are not toxic or large enough to harm a human.

On top of that, the scientists found that the spider has strong maternal instinct like Aragog.

In the Harry Potter series, Aragog allows her children to attack Potter and Ron Weasly in the Forbidden Forests in order for her children to eat.

8.Ochyrocera aragogue

Researchers Antonio Brescovit, Igor Cizauskas and Leandro Mota from Instituto Butantan, Sao Paula found not one but seven new species of spiders a couple of years ago.

They decided to name one of them Ochyrocera aragogue after Aragog.

Other six spiders were Ochyrocera varys, Ochyrocera atlachnacha, Ochyrocera laracna, Ochyrocera charlotte, Ochyrocera ungoliant and Ochyrocera misspider.

Two of the species were named after characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. Ochyrocera laracna is named after the giant spider Laracna who attacks Frodo and Sam on their way to Mordor while Ochyrocera ungoliant is named after Laracna’s mother Ungoliant.

Ochyrocera varys is befittingly named after Lord Varys from the Game of Thrones series. Lord Varys is nicknamed The Spider in the series by George R. Martin.

9.Clevosaurus sectumsemper

Snape invents the curse “sectumsempra” while studying at Hogwarts. Potter then discovers it inside Snape’s old book and used it against Draco Malfoy. The curse acts on its victim like an invisible sword.

When University of Bristol student Catherine Klein discovered a 205-million-year-old reptile in a drover of fossils, she decided to give a nod the curse.

The bones showed enough differences from known clevosaurs to call it a new species.

It was concluded that there was a possibility that the animals were fighting each other due to limited food source. Or perhaps they preyed on each other and their bones were broken.

The new species was able to self-sharpen its blade-like teeth with each cut. Thus, the species name sectumsemper was chosen in which also means ‘always cut’.

10.Dracorex hogwartsia

This new species of dinosaur was first discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota by three inexperienced paleontologist. They donated it the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in 2004 for study.

Then a team of museum scientists officially named the new dinosaur species Dracorex hogwartsia, the “Dragon King of Hogwarts”.

In response to this, Rowling put out a statement saying, “I am absolutely thrilled to think that Hogwarts has made a small claw mark upon the fascinating world of dinosaurs.”

She also gave credits to her children who loved dinosaurs for her knowledge on paleontology.

11.Trimeresurus salazar

When a team of researchers from India discovered a new species of green pit vipers, they decided to name the snake after the founder of Slytherin house, Salazar Slytherin.

He was one of the first recorded wizard with Parseltongue, the language of snakes.

A snake is also the symbol of the House of Slytherin.

12.Thestral incognitus

Why do scientists named their species the way they do? New species are often named after a person or places where they were found.

However over the years, there are more new species named after fictional characters such as Harry Potter and Star Wars characters, for instances Polemistus chewbacca and Polemistus yoda.

Eduardo Faundez wrote in Entomology Today pointing out that giving new species curious names is celebrated by some scientists and discouraged by others.

By doing so, however, like naming them after elements in the Harry Potter series, it might get people talking about these new species. Apart from raising awareness on the new addition of biodiversity, it could capture the attention of those in-charge of providing funds to study them.

Faundez himself, along with his colleague found a new genus of shield bug in central Chile.

He explained, “It was found in an area of the country that is pretty well-collected, where we observed thousands of specimens, but only a few of this new species and genus. Something about these bugs made it difficult for people to see them easily, which reminded me of the Thestrals, a breed of winged horses with skeletal bodies from the Harry Potter series. Additionally, our bug has ivory carinae which resemble the skeletal bodies of the Thestrals, which led us to name the bug Thestral incognitus.”

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How a quarrel between two friends became their last in Battle of Lintang Batang 1853

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The Battle of Lintang Batang was one of the many skirmishes which took place between the Skrang Iban led by the famous warrior Rentap and the Brooke government of Sarawak.

One of the historical significance of this battle was that a government officer named Alan Lee was killed and beheaded. His friend William Brereton, however, survived the battle.

Allegedly, Lee’s head was nicknamed “Pala Tuan Lee ti mati rugi” (Lee’s head who died lost).

How a quarrel between two friends became their last in Battle of Lintang Batang 1853
Dayaks in their War Dress . Credits: Public Domain.

James Brooke recruiting Alan Lee and William Brereton

According to Cassandra Pybus in White Rajah: A Dynastic Intrigue, Lee and Brereton were recruited in 1848, making them some of the earliest European officers to work in Sarawak.

Pybus stated, “Returning from England in 1848, the Rajah brought much-needed reinforcements: Spenser St John, the son of an old friend, was to be the Rajah’s private secretary; Charles Grant was to be his personal secretary; and Brooke Johnson was to be aide-de-camp and hold the title Tuan Besar. Brooke Johnson, who had changed his name by deed poll to Brooke Brooke, arrived almost immediately after the Maeander, on another ship which also carried Henry Steele and Alan Lee, young recruits with an eye for adventure.

A further recruit was Willie (William) Brereton, whom the Rajah had affectionately taken under his wing as a 13-year-old midshipman on the HMS Samarang, stranded in Kuching for several months in 1843.

Now Willie was 18 and he too had given up the naval life for the Rajah of Sarawak. In Kuching all these young men made a jolly group around James Brooke, creating what Harry Keppel wryly called “The Rajah’s bower”.

Brereton was in-charge of Fort James at Skrang while Lee was heading Fort Lingga near the mouth of the Batang Lupar.

The Battle of Lintang Batang according to Steven Runciman

There are several accounts recorded on what happened during the Battle of Lintang Batang 1853.

In The White Rajah: A History of Runciman from 1841 to 1946, Steven Runciman pointed out the battle took place when Rajah was in Sambas.

Runciman wrote, “Early in the spring of 1853 Brooke (James) heard of a pirate fleet setting out to intercept it. It may be that he was deliberately misled; for the real trouble broke out elsewhere. The main agent in reviving Saribas piracy was a chieftain called Rentap. He had, even after the battle of Batang Maru, opposed the idea of any compromise with the Europeans; and he had proved his mettle and won great prestige by conducting a profitable raid against a Chinese village near Sambas and by defeating the praus sent by the Sultan of Sambas and the Dutch to pursue him.

“He particularly resented the Skrang Dyaks, whose most influential chief, Gasing, had made close friends Brereton and was now a loyal supporter of the Rajah.”

With the Tuan Besar away off the coast to the west, it was a good moment for Rentap to attack the Skrang. This news reached Brereton, who summoned Lee from Lingga to his aid.

They collected as many loyal Iban and Malay followers they could.

Lee wished to remain on the defensive in the fort at the mouth of the Skrang. However, Brereton insisted on moving to the stockade up the river.

When Rentap’s fleet appeared around the river, the government fleet immediately attacked them.

Brereton hastily joining the fight, found himself running straight into Rentap’s main fleet which was hidden behind the bend.

Lee followed to rescue Brereton and there was a sharp battle.

“Brereton just escaped with his life, but Lee was mortally wounded,” Runciman wrote. Rentap’s son-in-law Layang reportedly killed and beheaded Lee.

As for the battle, heavy fire from the stockade then forced Rentap’s warriors to retreat upriver. There, they came under attack from another Iban chief who was on Brooke’s side. In the end, 20 longhouses of Rentap’s supporters were burned.

Why did Lee decide to attack?

Meanwhile, J.B Archer, the last chief secretary to Rajah Vyner Brooke wrote briefly about what goes behind the battle in The Sarawak Gazette on June 1, 1948.

According to Archer, Brereton accused his friend Lee of cowardice for refusing to advance upriver and attack the enemy.

Lee, who was in command, suspected that Rentap and his men had prepared an ambush and did not want to walk into a trap.

“On the last evening the two had a violent quarrel and the next morning Lee, exasperated by his friend’s taunts, ordered an advance. Exactly as he had foretold happened. The Government forces were surrounded and outnumbered and Lee, up to his waist in water, met a valiant death defending himself with his sword against Dayaks all around him,” Archer wrote.

He added, “Brereton escaped but, they say, never forgave himself for his share in the disaster and died a year or two later.”

According to Archer, Lee was his ancestor. He pointed out, “I have tried many times to identify his smoked head which has been hanging in some Skrang Dayak longhouse as a trophy for nearly a hundred years.”

While Archer was not able to recover his ancestor’s head, he was able to recover Lee’s sword.

Both Lee (without his head) and Brereton were buried in the old Kuching cemetery overlooking Bishopsgate road.

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Old customs when building a new Iban longhouse

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In the olden days, building a new longhouse was usually heavily influenced by superstitions.

Reverend William Howell once recorded his observation of the Iban customs when building a new longhouse.

He stated, “It is not uncommon among uncivilised races, whose lives are influenced or rather haunted by superstitions of various kinds, to find the majority are in the habit of continually removing from place to place. For more than half of a dozen reasons they desert their houses, even when only just finished.

“The terror of death or that some misfortune might befall their yearly crop of paddy, or the revelation of certain bad omens or ill visions, are the principal causes that will determine them promptly to leave their house.”

So what did Howell observe in those days? Here are the old customs when building a new Iban longhouse, which have most likely been forgotten today:

The meeting before building a new Iban longhouse

The chief assembles all his followers at a certain time in the evening in his ruai. Mats are spread, chewing ingredients in profusion and tuak are placed in the centre.

All the men sit in a circle with the women and children behind them. The chief opens the meeting after the distribution of the tuak. The subject is generally well-discussed and everybody gives his opinion.

At such a meeting the chief has to be most careful. Although his carry weight, yet he has to go by the votes of the majority.

It is, in fact, a sort of parliament, and the debates last a long time.

Those who cannot agree with the final arrangement cut themselves off and join another house or village.

In consequence the size or length of an Iban longhouse is not limited. To maintain the size of his house a chief has to exercise a great deal of self-denial.

He is like a parent who has to make peace among his children and please them equally. His family must share his sympathy.

Choosing the site of the Iban longhouse

The day following the meeting all the men go out to examine the spot for the site of the house. If it be a good one they beburong it at once. It means they go to hear the cry of a certain bird which prognosticates health, fortune, and good luck.

As long as the good omen is obtained they cut a peace of wood and hang it on the spot where the house is to stand. The spot thereby is considered sacred, being guarded by the kayu burong which is hung thereon.

As soon as the site of the house is cleared they beramu (go to get material for the house). The site for the house must not be burnt and the jungle that is cut down is cast aside.

If the site for the house is burnt it will give less work than in carrying away the jungle is cut down, but the house is said to be angat i.e. it will be visited by plagues and sickness.

A convenient places is selected for the palan. The palan is the place for retreat in case of hearing a bad omen when cutting material collected material for the house.

Out of every kind of material collected for the building, one piece is cast aside to ninggang burong (to plead excuse in the case of having neglected bad omens.

Old customs when building a new Iban longhouse
How the ruai of a traditional Iban longhouse looks like in the 21st century.

Ngelangkar

The evening before the ngentak rumah, they ngelangkar (laying the foundation and arrange where the posts are to be).

Nearby everybody goes to the site of the new building, men, women and children, to beat their musical instruments.

The noise is most deafening with the intention to avoid hearing a bad omen.

A piece of bamboo about a span long is put into the ground on the site of the building and filled with water up to the brim.

This ceremony of divination is called betenong ai, which prognosticates good or bad luck with reference to their yearly crops of paddy during the whole time they occupy the new house.

If the water in the bamboo decreases considerably it indicates perpetual famine, and if it does not, it foretells good years to come.

Ngentak rumah

Before the ngentak rumah another meeting is held by the chief. This meeting is simply to arrange the situation of each person’s door. The nearer they are related the nearer they build to one another.

The building is done in common as far as putting up the posts and framework are concerned.

It is called ngentak rumah. One door a day is put up. It is hurried through and everything is bound by rattan or the monkey-cup creeper called entuyut.

If there be the slightest shower of the rain the work is knocked off. To work in the rain when building a new house is to prognosticate the shedding of tears over some misfortune.

The ngentak rumah begins in the morning and the work is supposed to be finished by one o’clock at midday.

The first day of the ngentak rumah is an important and memorable one. A great sacrifice to Pulang Gana is offered for a propitiation, he being the god of the earth.

Makai di ruai

A full grown pig is sacrificed and its blood is smeared on the middle post of the house and the carcass is eaten.

Makai di ruai is the topic of conversation during the ngentak rumah, it signifies eating and feasting together on the veranda of their house.

This feasting after a spell of hard work is a welcome relaxation for them all.

At the ngentak rumah, while the men are hard at work, all the women and children who are not engaged in preparing the midday repast beat the different instrument to deafen their ears against an ill omen.

With some tribes the custom differs a little, the blood of the sacrificed pig is made to run into the hold of the central post of the house.

It is an understood thing that the chief supplies the pig and the pig that is killed is also a pledge between the chief and his followers. It is hereafter called a penti or compensation to be made over to the chief whenever any of his followers leave him.

Old customs when building a new Iban longhouse
An example of a modern-day Iban luncheon.

Howell’s observations were later published in the Sarawak Gazette on Aug 31, 1955.

Once they move into a new longhouse, the people would perform mandi rumah. Read here, to know more about this old Iban housewarming ceremony.

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How the Adam and Eve of Borneo became the ancestors of all races

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Did you know that Borneo has its own version of Adam and Eve?

In this story, Adam is Nabi Adam and Eve is called Siti Awa.

The legend was told by Pawan, the head village of Kampung Langir to the Sarawak Gazette on June 1, 1948.

It started in a really small town called Semitau in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

How the Adam and Eve of Borneo became the ancestors of all races
An inn in Semitau.

Here is the Bornean version of Adam and Eve as well as how they became the ancestors of all races:

Long time ago at Semitau in the upper reaches of the Kapuas river in Dutch Borneo (Kalimantan), there lived a man. His title and name was Nabi Adam, and the great Jewatta had made him -the very first man in all the world.

Nabi Adam was happy enough at first. Wandering in the jungle, swimming in the hill streams, watching the beasts and all the time knowing that Jewata had singled him out to be different from all the others – why, of course he was happy. But as time went on he grew restless.

This restlessness grew and grew upon him, till he spent the days feverishly searching everywhere but just what he sought he didn’t know.

The great Jewata knew though, and pitied his creation. So it came about that one day whilst Nabi Adam was searching he grew suddenly aware that his satchel, (which he wore slung on his left side) had grown curiously heavy.

He stopped, opened it and what do you think – there was a lovely girl named Siti Awa! It is for that reason that even today when a man and a woman walk or sleep together, a woman’s proper place is on the left.

Nabi Adam was content, and he and Siti Awa set up house together. In the fullness of time Siti Awa bore a son and this son was given the name of Landar.

Therefore every year for six more years Siti Awa bore sons, and their names were Bira, Sara, Kara, Miang, Rangkang and Sarit.

When we speak of them nowadays we always honour the by using the “Pati” in front of their names.

The children of Adam and Eve

How the Adam and Eve of Borneo became the ancestors of all races
What happens in this version of Adam and Eve? Credits: Pixabay

Time slipped by and the lads grew up till they reached manhood.

The eldest, Pati Landar seemed to have inherited his father’s early wanderlust.

He was a peculiar looking fellow – tallish with a pasty complexion. Like so many elder sons he was a bit conceited too, no doubt from always having so many younger brothers to boss about.

Eventually he wandered off towards the sea and didn’t come back.

Instead he took a wife and from Pati Landar and his wife have descended all the White races.

Pati Bira was the next to go – he went off downriver and took a wife, thus founding the Malay race.

Pati Sara wouldn’t stay home either. He went all the way to Shantung where he took him a wife and founded the Chinese race.

We will leave Pati Kara for the time being and pass on to Pati Miang and Pati Sarit. These two had always been a bit delicate, and the older they grew the more pale and wan they became.

They loved wandering in the jungle, and if you’d met them you’d have thought they were a couple of wraiths. And you’d have been nearly right too for that is what they became.

Having slipped over the border into the spirit world they evidently met a couple of attractive succubi, because from them has descended the whole race of imps, devils, bogles, ghosts, vampires and other hantus.

Pati Rangkang and Pati Kara

Pati Rangkang as a youngster was passionately fond of water. He was forever playing in the rivers, and at a very early age he could swim like a fish.

Siti Awa was always telling him that no good would come of it, but he didn’t heed.

The older he grew the more time he spent in the river, until he only came out for his meals and even used to sleep in the river. No one was really surprised when he turned into a crocodile and thus founded the species.

So out of the seven sons there now remained in Semitau only the fourth, Pati Kara. He was a good steady type and farmed his land, hunted game in the jungle, and looked after his father and mother.

It was a bit lonely for him though, without his brothers, so he took a wife and founded his own race.

How the Adam and Eve of Borneo became the ancestors of all races
The main street passing through Semitau bazaar.

Life the after Borneon Adam and Eve’s deaths

The years passed. Generation succeeded generation. Nabi Adam and Siti Awa had long since died happily, surrounded by their descendants.

Pati Kara also had long since passed away, and Semitau had become a huge village. So big was it that food began to run short, and each year the crop was a little worse than the year before.

The two headmen, Bas and Bantat, after a conference with the older men decided the time had come to seek new lands.

The villagers packed all their goods and their livestock, and they moved.

It took them a long time, but finally they reached Sungai Melikin , on the upper reaches of Batang Krang. There they stayed for so long that they adopted the name of the stream as the name of their tribe, and to this day they are known as Melikins.

In due course they abandoned the site on Sungai Melikin in favour of Gunung Lebor, further down the Krang. From Lebor they have spread and formed the 12 main villages and the 4 sub-villages that comprise the Melikin race today.

The race of Melikin

Whilst the tribe was still at Sungai Melikin, a very unfortunate error occurred. A number of the villagers went out gathering those edible fungi that grow out of wood, and collected enough for a good big feast.

Who made the mistake we will never know now, but mixed in with the edible variety were some poisonous ones.

All those who ate were affected; men, women and children acted as though they were half drunk half imbecile.

In most similar cases the victims recover in a couple of days. For some reason these unfortunates did not – though they didn’t die they forgot how to speak Melikin, they forgot how to dress like Melikins, they forgot all the customs and made new ones.

Nowadays their descendants have forgotten they ever were Melikins and call themselves by different names.

They are now what people call the Land and Sea Dayaks.

How the Adam and Eve of Borneo became the ancestors of all races
Kapuas river.

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The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

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Raise your glass if you are a fan of cocktails. What makes this alcoholic mixed drink interesting is that there are endless possibilities of making a new cocktail recipe.

There are various combinations of one spirits or more with other ingredients such as syrup, juice or cream.

Do you know that there are official recipes for cocktails? International Bartenders Association (IBA) sanctions a list of official cocktails with official recipes which go along with them.

These cocktails are then selected by the IBA for use in the annual World Cocktail Competition in bartending.

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them
Cocktails are always a good choice if you are looking into diversifying your alcohol consumption.

Here, KajoMag has compiled 20 cocktails along with their origin stories and recipes:

1.Pina Colada

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

Like most origin stories behind the cocktails on this list, there are several versions of how Pina Colada came about.

The earliest known stories trace back to the 19th century. To boost his crew’s morale, Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresi allegedly gave them a cocktail containing coconut, pineapple and white rum.

This cocktail would later became the famous pina colada. However, this version is often being disputed.

Another version stated that the Caribe Hilton Hotel’s bartender Ramon Maerrero created the drink in 1954.

Meanwhile, a Puerto Rican restaurant claimed that the drink was invented by Spanish bartender Don Ramon Portas Mingot in 1963.

Regardless, Puerto Rico proclaimed Pina Colada as its official drink in 1978.

Served: Frozen
Standard Garnish: Pineapple slice and/or maraschino cherrt
Standard Drinkware: Poco Grande glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 3 cl white rum, 9 cl pineapple juice, 3 cl cream of coconut
Preparation: The first step is to blend all the ingredients with ice in an electric blender. Then, pour into a large goblet and serve with straw.

2.Tequila Sunrise

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

The original version of Tequila Sunrise comprised of tequila, creme de casssis, lime juice and soda water. It was first served at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in the 1930s or 1940s.

As years passed, the popular version of Tequila Sunrise came along from Sausalito, California in the early 1970s. This version now containstequila, orange juice and grenadine.

When it is served, the cocktail’s gradation colour looks like sunrise, hence the name ‘Tequila Sunrise’.

Served: One the rocks
Standard Garnish: On the rocks
Standard Drinkware: Collins glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 4.5 cl tequila, 9 cl orange juice, 1.5 cl grenadine syrup
Preparation: Pour the tequila and orange juice into glass over ice. Add the grenadine, which will sink into the grenadine. In order to create the sunrise effect, stir the cocktails gently. Finally, garnish and serve.

3.Mai Tai

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

There are three men who claimed to have invented Mai Tai. Victor J. Bergeron claimed he invented it at his restaurant Trader Vic’s in California in 1944.

However, Trader Vic’s forerunner Donn Beach claimed to invent it first in 1933.

Meanwhile, another colleague of Donn Beach said the drink was based on his Q.B Cooler cocktail.

As for the name, it was allegedly taken from the Tahitian word maita’I meaning good or excellence.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Spearmint leaves and lime shell
Standard drinkware: Old Fashioned Glass
IBA specified ingredients: 4 cl white rum, 2 cl dark rum, 1.5 cl orange curacao, 1.5 ck orgeat syrup, 1 cl fresh lime juice. Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice. Secondly, strain the drink into glass. Garnish and serve with straw.

4.Cosmopolitan

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

There are so many disputes on the origin of Cosmopolitan that one could do research paper on it.

One version said it came from the gay community in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Another theory stated that the bartender Neal Murray created the drink in 1975 at the Cork & Cleaver steakhouse in Minneapolis.

Basically, the drink is made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Served: Straight up
Standard Garnish: Lime slice
Standard Drinkware: Cocktail Glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 4 cl vodka citron, 1.5 cl cointreau, 1.5 cl fresh lime juice. 3 cl cranberry juice
Preparation: Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker filled with ice. After that, strain it into a large cocktail glass. Finally, garnish the drink with lime slice.

5.Long Island Tea

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

The Prohibition in the US took place from 1920 to 1933. That was when a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages.

At that time, there was a man who went by “Old Man Bishop” in a local community named Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee. The drink was then perfected by Old Man Bishop’s son, Ransom Bishop.

Their version of drink included whiskey and maple syrup and varied quantities of different kinds of liquors rather than the modern version with one cola and five equal portions of five liquors.

Fast forward 50 years later, a man named Robert Butt claimed to have invented the Long Island Tea during a contest. He was working at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Lemon slice
Standard Drinkware: Highball glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 1.5 cl tequila, 1.5 cl vodka, 1.5 cl white rum, 1.5 cl triple sec, 1.5 cl gin, 2.5 cl lemon juice, 3.0 cl simple syrup, top with cola
Preparation: Firstly, add all ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Optionally garnish with lemon slice.

6.Margarita

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

Here is another drink that gained fame during the Prohibition. According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the margarita is the Daisy cocktail remade with tequila instead of brandy.

The earliest account of margarita was found in 1936 Iowa newspaper.

Margarita can be served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita) or without ice (straight up).

While it may be served in a variety of glasses, it is widely known to be served in a margarita glass which is a variant of the classic champagne coupe.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Salt on the rim
Standard Drinkware: Margarita glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 3.5 cl tequila, 2 cl Cointreau, 1.5 cl lime juice
Preparation: Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass rimmed with salt.

7.Bloody Mary

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

The first person claiming to have invented the Bloody Mary is French bartender Fernand Petiot. He was working at the New York Bar in Paris at that time which later became Harry’s New York Bar.

Legend has it that the original cocktail is created on the spur of the moment, consisting of vodka and tomato juice.

After Petiot, there is a handful of other people claiming to have invented the cocktail.

As for the name, “Bloody Mary” is associated with a number of historical figures such as Queen Mary I of England, Hollywood star Mary Pickford as well as a waitress named Mary who worked at Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Celery stalk
Standard Drinkware: Highball glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 3 parts vodka, 6 parts tomato juice, 1 part lemon juice, 2 to 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, celery salt, black pepper
Preparation: Stirring gently, pour all ingredients into highball glass. Garnish.

8.Cuba Libre

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

Cuba Libre was first originated in the early 20th century in Cuba after the country won independence in the Spanish-American War. While its exact origins is uncertain, the drink became popular shortly after 1900 when bottle Coca Cola was first imported into Cuba from the US.

Traditionally, it is made using rum and coke hence the alternate name Rum and Coke. The coke ingredient is usually Coca-Cola and the alcohol is a light rum such as Bacardi.

The drinks’ traditional name, “Cuba Libre” (Free Cuba) was the slogan of the Cuban Independence movement.

Since it is simple and inexpensive to make, it is one of the most common and classic cocktails drink out there.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Lime wedge
Standard Drinkware: Highball glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 12 cl Cola, 5 white rum and 1 cl Fresh lime juice
Preparation: Build all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with Lime Juice

9.Daiquiri

Daiquiri is the name of a beach as well as an iron mine near Santiago de Cuba. It was believed that the drink was invented by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox. He was in Cuba at the time during the Spanish-American War.

Served: Straight up
Standard Drinkware: Cocktail glass
IBA Specified ingredients: 6 cl white rum, 2 cl lime juice, 2 bar spoons superfine sugar
Preparation: In a cocktail shaker add all ingredients. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add ice and shake. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

10.Mojito

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

Known as author Ernest Hemingway’s favourite drink, this is one of the most famous rum-based cocktails out there. It came from Havana, Cuba with its exact origin still remain subject of debate.

Some historians believed that African slaves who worked in the Cuban sugar cane fields during the 19th century came up with the basic of the drinks.

However, the original version of the drink did not contain lime juice.

There are several theories behind the origin of the name mojito. One theory stated that it relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime. Another theory is that it is a derivative of mojadito (Spanish for a little wet).

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Sprig of mint, lemon slice
Standard Drinkware: Collins glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 4 cl white rum, 3 cl fresh lime juice. 6 sprigs of mint, 2 teaspoons sugar/sugar syrup, soda water
Preparation: Muddle mint leaves with sugar and lime juice. Add a splash of soda water and fill the glass with cracked ice. Pour the rum and top with soda water. Garnish with sprig of mint leaves and lemon slice. Serve with straw.

11.Mint Julep

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

One of the earliest records describing the cocktails was found in a book by John Davis in 1803.

Mint julep was described as “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it, taken by Virginians of a morning.”

Generally, the cocktail is associated with southern American cuisine.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Mint sprig
Standard Drinkware: Highball glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 6cl Bourbon whiskey, 4 mint leaves, 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons water
Preparation: In a highball glass gently muddle the mint, sugar and water. Fill the glass with cracked ice, add Bourbon and stir well until the glass is well frosted. Garnish with a mint sprig.

12.Sex on the Beach

It is not known on how or who invented the drink Sex on The Beach. While the name is provocative for a drink, it is also unknown on how the name came about.

There are several variations of Sex on the Beach. For examples grenadine is used in replace of cranberry juice and coconut rum is often substituted for the vodka.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Orange slice
Standard Drinkware: Highball glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 4 cl vodka, 2 cl peach schnapps, 4 cl orange juice, 4 cl cranberry juice
Preparation: Build all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange slice.

13.Singapore Sling

Here is a cocktail which has a Sarawak essence in it. There are few so called original recipes for Singapore Sling. One version is made by mixing two measures of gin with one of cherry brandy and one each of orange, pineapple and lime juice.

Another version is to have gin, Cherry Heering, Benedictine and fresh pineapple juice primary from Sarawak.

This gin-based cocktail was developed sometime before 1915 by a Hainanese bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon. At that time, he was working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel, Singapore.

Classic Singapore Sling

Served: Straight up
Standard Garnish: Maraschino cherry, lemon slice
Standard Drinkware: Highball glass
Commonly used ingredients: 2.5 cl gin, 4.5 cl cherry brandy, 1.5 cl fresh lemon juice, 20 cl soda water
Preparation: Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into highball glass or tumbler. Optionally add one or two cubes. However, do not flood the drink with ice. Garnish with lemon slice and cocktail cherry.

American Singapore Sling

Served: Straight up
Standard Garnish: Maraschino cherry, pineapple
Standard Drinkware: Hurricane glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 3 cl gin, 1.5 cherry brandy, 0.75 cl cointreau, 0.75 cl Benedictine, 1 cl grenadine, 12 cl pineapple juice, 1.5 cl fresh lime juice, 1 dash Angostura bitters
Preparation: Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. After that, shake it well. Strain into highball glass. Finally, garnish the drink with pineapple and cocktail cherry.

14.Kamikaze

The origin stories behind 20 cocktails and how to make them

Although the name is Japanese, this cocktail does not come from Japan. According to cocktail historian, Kamikaze first appeared in 1976. Richard Stein, the proprietor of Richard’s Lounge in Lakewood, New Jersey was the one who created it.

Served: Straight up
Standard Garnish: Lime slice
Standard Drinkware: Cocktail glass
Commonly Used Ingredients: Shake all ingredients together with ice. Then, strain the drink into glass, garnish and serve.

15.Mimosa

Named after the yellow-flowered mimosa plant (Acacia dealbata), this cocktail is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute at weddings or in a business class on airlines. It is a simple cocktail of combining orange juice and champagne.

Moreover, this concept of combining sparkling wine and orange juice is commonly found in Spain for centuries.

Another variation of mimosa is by replacing champagne with vodka and orange juice with cranberry juice.

Served: Straight up
Standard Garnish: Orange juice
Standard Drinkware: Champagne flute
IBA Specified Ingredients: 7.5 cl champagne, 7.5 orange juice
Preparation: Ensure both ingredients are well chilled, then mix into the glass. Serve it cold.

16.Irish Coffee

One of the many people who claimed to have invented the Irish Coffee is Joe Sheridan. He was the head chef at the restaurant and coffee shop in the Foyness Airbase flying boat terminal building, Ireland.

He started to add whiskey to the coffee for some disembarking passengers in 1942 or 1943.

Served: Hot
Standard Drinkware: Irish coffee mug
IBA Specified Ingredients: 4 cl Irish whiskey, 8 cl hot coffee, 3 cl fresh cream, 1tsp brown sugar.
Preparation: Firstly, heat the coffee, whiskey and sugar. However, do not boil it. Pour into glass and top with cream, serve hot.

17.Manhattan

The most history suggests that this cocktail originated from the Manhattan Club in New York City in the mid-1870s.

However, there is another earlier account stating that the drink was invented in the 1860s by a bartender named Black at a bar near Houston Street, downtown Manhattan.

While this cocktail is originated from the US, it is a standard drink at almost every eatery and bar on the small island of Fohr on the German coast of the North Sea.

Legend has it that many people from Fohr emigrated to Manhattan during deep sea fishing trips. They liked the drink so much that they brought it back to Fohr with them.

Served: Straight up
Standard Garnish: Maraschino cherry
Standard Drinkware: Cocktail glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 5 cl rye whiskey, 2 cl sweet red vermouth, dash Angostura bitters
Preparation: Stirred over ice, strained into chilled glass, garnish, and served up.

18.Martini

American journalist H.L. Mencken called it the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet. Meanwhile, American writer called it the elixir of quietude.

Martini has become one of the best American cocktails, widely known for its olive garnish.

As for its origins, many believed that it evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco.

Another theory is that the drink was invented by a bartender from the town of Martinez, California.

Served: Straight up or on the rocks
Standard Garnish: Olive or lemon twist
Standard Drinkware: Cocktail glass
IBA Specified Ingredients: 6 cl gin, 1 cl dry vermouth
Preparation: Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain into chilled martini cocktail glass. Lastly, squeeze oil from lemon peel onto the drink or garnish with olive.

19.French 75

During the 19th century, the Champagne Cup was a popular cocktail. It consists of champagne, lemon juice, sugar and ice. However, sometimes gin was added giving birth a drink similar to French 75.

The current version of French 75 is believed to date back to World War I. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun, hence the name French 75.

Served: Straight up
Straight Drinkware: Champagne flute
IBA Specified Ingredients: 2 cl gin, 2 dashes simple syrup, 1.5 cl lemon juice, 6 cl champagne
Preparation: Combine gin, syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into chilled champagne glass. Top up with champagne. Finally, stir it gently.

20.Moscow Mule

Sometimes known as a vodka buck, Moscow Mule is a cocktail with so many variations depending on the liquors used.

For examples, if bourbon is used then the drink is called a Kentucky mule. If bourbon and coffee liquer are used, then it is called a New Orleans mule. Mexican mule for instance is when a tequila is used.

Unlike other cocktails on this list, this cocktail is properly served in a copper mug which takes on the temperature of the liquid.

Served: On the rocks
Standard Garnish: Lime slice
Standard Drinkware: Copper mug
IBA Specified Ingredients: 4.5 cl vodka, 0.5 cl lime juice, 12 cl ginger beer
Preparation: Combine vodka and ginger in a glass filled with ice. Then, add lime juice. Stir gently. Garnish.

Share in the comment box which ones are your favourites cocktails!

All photos and illustrations are from pixabay.com

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10 ingredients to spice up your baked chicken breast

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If you are looking for a quick, delicious and less guilty source of protein to make for your dinner, look no further than baked chicken breast.

Chicken breast is a great source of lean protein. It is perfect for those who are looking to build their muscle mass since it contains low fat.

Additionally, it is easy to cook, especially if you buy it skinless and boneless from the supermarket.

You can reduce the oil in your cooking by making baked chicken breast with simple seasoning such as salt, pepper and olive oil.

But what if you get bored with your own cooking, especially if you are not even close to Gordan Ramsay’s skills?

Here are 10 ingredients to put some varieties in your usual baked chicken breast:

10 ingredients to spice up your baked chicken breast
How do you like your baked chicken breast? Credits: Pixabay

1.Pesto sauce

10 ingredients to spice up your baked chicken breast
Pesto sauce

Do you know that pesto is the past participle of the verb ‘pesta’ which means ‘to pound’ or ‘to crush’ in the Genoese dialect in northern Italy?

This term refers to the original method of making a pesto whereby the ingredients are crushed or ground in a mortar.

Traditionally, it consists of garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, hard cheese such as Parmesan cheese and blended with olive oil.

While it is commonly used on pasta, pesto is also good with baked chicken breasts.

There are plenty of cooking blogs publishing 2-ingredient or 4-ingredient pesto chicken recipes.

Basically, these recipes are all the same. It is made with skinless and boneless chicken breast fillets covered with pesto sauce as well as salt and pepper to taste.

The dish is then baked in the oven for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Tasty of Buzzfeed upgrades their version of pesto chicken by topping them with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

2.Barbecue sauce

Besides pesto sauce, you can also make baked chicken breast with barbecue sauce.

Just cover your chicken with your favourite BBQ sauce along with a little salt, pepper and oil then oven-bake it.

However, if you want to grill the chicken, do not brush it with barbecue sauce. Instead, grill the chicken on greased grill over medium heat for seven to eight minutes on each side. Then turn and brush the chicken on both side with the sauce for the last few minutes.

Check out this recipe!

3.Teriyaki sauce

The four main components of a teriyaki sauce are soy sauce, sake or mirin, sugar and ginger.

To use it for you cooking, soak the meat, vegetables, fish or tofu for at least half an hour before cooking.

If you want to make baked chicken breast in teriyaki sauce, you can start by arranging your chicken breasts on a lightly greased baking dish.

Cover your chicken with teriyaki sauce before covering the baking dish with foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated or until the chicken is cooked.

Once it is cooked, do not waste any excess liquid. Drain the pan and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over the chicken before serving.

4.Mustard

Have you ever wondered why there are different colours of mustard out there?

This condiment is basically made from the seeds of a mustard plant. Then, these seeds are either ground, cracked or bruised before mixing them with water, vinegar, lemon juice and salts.

The colour ranges from bright yellow to dark brown depending on the added flavourings or spices such as turmeric or green juice of unripe grapes.

The most common ingredient that goes along with mustard when preparing baked chicken breast is honey.

Other common ingredients are olive oil, apple cider vinegar and of course salt and pepper to taste.

Since there are many types of mustard out there from dijon mustard to French mustard, you can always try which type suits your taste the best.

5.Honey

10 ingredients to spice up your baked chicken breast
Honey

Speaking of honey, a honey garlic baked chicken breast is another common dish. The marinade is made by whisking together soy sauce, honey, garlic, lime juice, Sriracha, sesame oil and cornstarch.

If you are not a fan of garlic, The Spruce Eats has a recipe for honey baked chicken breast.

The ingredients are honey, brown sugar, red wine, light soy sauce, flour, salt, dried leaf thyme, paprika, ground black pepper, butter and canola oil.

6.Italian dressing

If you have a bottle of Italian dressing in your fridge, you can opt not to just use it on your salad but also to marinate your chicken breast too.

Commonly found in American and Canadian cuisine, Italian dressing is a vinaigrette-type consisting of water, vinegar or lemon juice, vegetable oil, chopped bell peppers, usually sugar or corn syrup.

The best part of making baked chicken breast using this ingredient is that you do not need any other ingredient – not even salt and pepper.

All Recipes came up with a recipe by combining six skinless, boneless chicken breast with one bottle of Italian-style salad dressing.

Seal them in a zip lock bag and place it in the refrigerator for one hour, or even overnight.

Then bake the chicken in an oven for at least one hour.

You can check out the recipe here.

7.Yogurt

To make yogurt baked chicken breast, you need at least two other ingredients; garlic and panko bread crumbs.

Firstly, marinate your chicken with plain yogurt, crushed garlic for one to six hours.

Then transfer the chicken to a baking pan. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the chicken before baking.

If you need that extra taste of herbs, add in thyme in your yogurt mixture.

8.Gochujang

If you are not familiar with gochujang, it is basically Korean red chilli paste. It is a fermented condiment made from chilli powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybean powder, barley malt powder and salt.

Gochujang is an essential ingredient in making Korean cuisine such as Korean braised chicken.

Korean food blogger Jin Joo from Kimchimari reinvented Korean spicy chicken by oven baking them.

The key step in making this recipe is to make gochujang marinade. She combines chopped garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, Korean red chilli pepper, black pepper and not forgetting gochujang.

Then she marinates the chicken breasts overnight in the fridge.

Finally, she bakes the breasts in the oven for 17 to 18 minutes. Jin Joo also suggests broiling the chicken for one extra minute to caramelise it.

9.Alfredo sauce

If you have Alfredo sauce laying around the house, you can use it to bake your chicken breast. Or you can make one from scratch if you don’t have one.

Add cream and butter to a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to simmer. Then whisk in the garlic and simmer for 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. To make the sauce smooth and creamy, continue to whisk it until the cheese has fully melted.

As for your baked chicken breast with Alfredo sauce, spread a layer of the sauce on the baking dish. Place the chicken breast over sauce before season the meat with salt and pepper.

Add some chopped broccoli over the chicken. Before the chicken make it to the oven, pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and broccoli.

You can top it with Parmesan cheese if you want to. Finally, bake it for 40 minutes.

10.Balsamic vinegar

Here is another ingredient from Italy that makes the list. Balsamic vinegar is a very dark, intensely flavoured vinegar, made wholly or partially from grape must.

It is used sparingly to enhance the flavour of steaks, eggs or fish.

Make a marinade using balsamic vinegar, then you can make another version baked chicken breast.

Mix together balsamic vinegar, olive oil and other flavouring such as salt, black pepper and garlic to make the marinade.

Remember, you can always tenderise your chicken breast before baking using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Check out baked balsamic chicken recipe here.

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