撕开白底红字印刷骏马抬蹄伫立光环中的包装，尝一口松软的香草奶油夹心面包，流连唇齿间的是童年的甜美芬芳。坐落在士毛月（Semenyih）的金马面包西果厂，1981年至今持续手工制作古早味面包，伴随无数居民成长。最受欢迎的非奶油夹心面包莫属，椰丝面包以及面包饼干（roti kok）也不遑多让。摆放在自家门市销售之外，还供货予附近一带的杂货店、传统咖啡店，是士毛月人共同拥有的味蕾记忆。
四十年岁月如梭，士毛月从农业园区迈向城市化发展，金马面包西果厂却近乎完整地保存原貌。推开米黄色的折叠铁门，眼前的木柜和墙上的木架被面包大军占领。店内另一侧的实木工作台，既是每天无数面包的诞生地，同时是面包们打扮穿衣的后台。制作和零售在同一空间里进行，是创店前辈们的构思，木制家具也由他们亲手钉制。一直沿用下来的还有初版包装以及家传原料配方，包括调味用于夹心面包的奶油和新鲜炒制椰丝馅料。
金马面包西果厂现任掌舵人李文吉出身面包家族，爷爷在森美兰州淡边小镇开设面包店，家中亲戚大多也从事烘焙行业。1980年代，姑姑嫁到士毛月后，力邀娘家的弟弟（父母与叔叔）共同创业，金马面包西果厂就此诞生。后来叔叔和姑姑陆续退股，父母曾考虑结束营业，当刚中学毕业的李文吉便决定接手，加上姐妹不时帮忙，一家人齐心协力支撑起面包厂运作。
李文吉大哥自小将家人的日以继夜的劳动尽收眼底，明白手工制作面包的辛苦，每天工作时长十二至十五小时，挣得血汗钱却缺少闲暇时间。如果不是一家人分工负责从秤材料、和面团、揉压面团、手捏成型、入模发酵、进炉烘焙、出炉冷却到切片包装的一应工序，肯定会忙不过来。从烘炉中取出烤好的面包，被热气熏得满脸通红，对李大哥而言是极平凡的日常。不聘请工人，乐意亲力亲为，虽然苦点、累点，却舒心自在。
金马面包西果厂开业初期只卖寥寥数样古早味面包，近年来顺应市场需求才慢慢地增至十多种口味选择。除了长期光顾的熟客、外地游客和循着古早味寻来的老饕，传统咖啡店会批量订购海南面包。基于所有的面包都是自家手工制作，为了保持最佳品质，李大哥会将每日生产数量控制在能力所及的范围内。若有必要，他会和顾客沟通将大额订单分作两天完成。
随着乡镇发展阔步前进，不少传统食品为了提升效率和产量而趋向工业化生产，为了延长保质期而添加防腐剂、软化剂。年轻的李文吉大哥却依旧手工制作面包，坚持无添加，守护着扎实的口感和熟悉的淳朴味道。
Tear open the white packaging with red printing of a horse standing amid the glow, nibble on the soft vanilla cream bun, it brings back sweet childhood memories. Golden Horse Bakery in Semenyih has been producing handmade traditional breads and buns since 1981, feeding generations of the local population. The most popular item is cream bun, followed by coconut bun and oven-dried bread (roti kok). The breads are not only sold in the bakery itself, but also supplied to nearby grocery stores and traditional coffee shops, a familiar favourite of those born and bred in Semenyih.
40 years flew by, Semenyih has developed from agricultural plantations into a township, yet Golden Horse Bakery retained its original facade. Upon opening the cream-colored folding shutters, breads and buns filled the wooden racks and shelves in sight. In the other part of the shop sits a large wooden workbench, on which countless bread were made and decorated. A shared space for both production and retail was the idea of the founders, who made the wooden furniture with their own hands. The original packaging and recipes are also passed down, including how to make the cream bun fillings and coconut bun fillings.
The current proprietor of Golden Horse Bakery, Lee Boon Kit, is born into a family of bakers. His grandfather ran a bakery in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan, and most of their relatives are also bakers. In 1980, his aunt got married in Semenyih and invited her brothers (Lee’s parents and uncle) to establish a joint venture, hence Golden Horse Bakery came into being. As Lee’s uncle and aunt pulled out of the business, his parents considered closing for good. Having just graduated from high school, Lee decided to take over the business. With his sisters lend a helping hand every now and then, the family managed to keep the bakery in operation.
Since childhood, Lee Boon Kit observed his family members at work, and fully understood the onerous nature of producing handmade bread. Daily working hours range from 12 to 15 hours, with meagre earnings and very little free time. The family members work as a team, sharing the workload from measuring ingredients, mixing and rolling the dough, bread shaping, moulding and fermenting, to baking. For Lee, getting his face flushed red upon removing bread from the hot oven is just another ordinary aspect of his work. There are no hired workers, the family are quite happy to do everything themselves despite the tedium.
In earlier years, Golden Horse Bakery offered certain types of classic bread, recently increased to over a dozen varieties due to market demand. Apart from serving long-term regular customers, tourists, and foodies looking for traditional taste, they also supply Hainanese bread loaves to coffee shops. As all the bread are made by hand, Lee keeps a tight constraint on each day’s production quantities to avoid compromising the food quality. If necessary, he liaises with the customer to complete large orders in two days instead of one.
Rapid urbanization caused a shift from traditional handmade food to mass production for increased efficiency and output volume, as well as the usage of food additives to extend shelf life and taste enhancement. As a youngster, Lee Boon Kit keeps up the practice of handmaking breads and is strongly against food additives, maintaining the rustic texture and the simple yet familiar taste.
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文 Text/ 潘慧雯 Pua Hui Wen
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