June 19, 2016

Sibu Tales : Cangkok Manis and Mee Sua



After about 115 years of settling down in Sibu, the Foochows have started to use many of the local vegetables and fruits as part of their food.




According to my grandfather who came in 1903 to settle down in Sg Merah, he saw many Ibans and Malays having cangkok manis in their backyard garden and he also saw them harvesting the vegetables. He told us that he first learnt to cook cangkok manis as a soup. He later learnt also from the Malays and the Ibans how to forage for paku and meedin.

Today these three vegetables are restaurant dishes in the Foochow dominated town of Sibu. One of the best dishes created from cangkok manis is the hand made and sun dried Mee Sua fried with changkok manis, garlic and ikan bilis.

We often order this dish in the restaurants instead of the chicken soup mee sua.

It is also a dish that most Foochow women have learnt to cook at home.

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