What comes to your mind when I say “charcoal”? Your answer is probably barbecue parties. Today, not many homes or shops use charcoal to cook. We don’t find many places selling charcoal too. Back in those days before the use of gas stoves, families used charcoal to cook their food. It was their daily necessity. Bags of charcoal were easily available and commonly found in many provision shops. Mr Ng shared that he would lay a layer of damp newspapers at the bottom of the charcoal stove before putting in a few pieces of charcoal. After starting the fire, he would then place his food above it to cook. He will occasionally fan into the small opening at the front of the charcoal stove to create bigger flames. Though using charcoal can get messy, the food cooked from charcoal is more flavourful and fragrant. That is a major plus point for using charcoal!