August 31, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Fresh Wild Boar Soup with Lemon GRass

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Today as the rainforests grow smaller due to deforestation and economic development of Sarawak,wild animals also decrease in population due to lack of food and also increase in hunting.

Wild boar meat used to be sold openly in most markets but today it is not allowed by law. Enforcement officers go around checking the sale of wild meat and a heavy fine is the punishment for the culprits.

However hunting for food in the jungle is allowed. Hence if wild boar is caught, it is a time for celebration.

The easiest way to cook fresh wild boar meat is to prepare a pot of water with ginger and lemongrass. Get it to boil and then the pieces of wild boar meat is thrown into the soup. This method of cooking is called "sup terjun" by the Ibans.

The soup is refreshing and tasty. The meat is rendered soft and delicious.

August 30, 2017

Sarawakiana Local Delights : Smoked Ikan Patin



The patin is a member of the catfish family native to South East Asian waters. Sometimes they are called "Shark Catfish" because their shape is similar to the shark.No photo description available.

All patin are toothless. While some are small, others are very huge like the Mekong Giant Catfish which can grow up to 3.5 m long and 600 kg in weight.

Most patin in Sarawak are about 4 kg although most are about 1.5 kg. While some are farmed, the bigger ones are caught in the Rajang, Baram, Limbang and Lupar rivers.  The wild patin are very tasty, especially those from the Bintangor and Sarikei area.

Patin can be brown, black or even white in colour.

Longhouse people love to smoke patin over a slow charcoal fire or a small fire when they are resting at a pebble river beach. Very often for festive seasons the patin is cooked in bamboo.

Patin is also cooked in curry, or steamed in soy sauce. When farmers are in a hurry, they will just make a quick soup out of a freshly caught patin.

the flesh of the patin is white, silky and smooth. It is a sweet tasting fish.

August 29, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Belly Pork,Wild Torch Ginger Shoots and Bungkang Leaves

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Photo by James Joshua of Ruas Kitchen, Miri.


Belly pork is a very popular cut of pork among the indigenous people of Sarawak.

One of the easiest ways of cooking it is adding wild torch ginger shoots, lemon grass and daun bungkang, a flavourful wild leaves found in the jungle of Sarawak.

Wild torch ginger shoots are readily available in the market or tamu.

A large pot of the meat can be slowly braised with all these ingredients and indeed a large number of people can enjoy this dish together in the longhouse.

The flavours of the dish will be increased when it is heated up the next day.

It would be even better if a hunter has come home with wild boar meat and it is cooked this way.

Enjoy!!

August 27, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Ikan Semah

This is a Google photo showing ikan semah.Image may contain: people sitting, table, food and indoor

According to a report, Ikan Semah is also known as ikan Sapan and is a fresh water fish commonly found in Indo-Australia region and the Indian Sub Continent.

In Java it is known as ikan tambra, in Kalimantan it is known as sapan. In India it is known as mahseer.

In Sibu , the ikan semah is only ordered by rich customers who can afford the prices of 100 to 300 per kg. Ikan semah is slightly cheaper than ikan empurau. The price must have escalated in the last few years.

The semah is often steamed or baked by the Chinese chefs.

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Photo by Inggol Ranggon of Semah in Murum.

In the longhouse, when the semah is caught in the river, it is usually roasted over an open fire, sometimes wrapped with banana leaves. It is a fish with lots of omega3 oil. And is extremely sweet and tasty fish.

Semah which weighs more than 2 kg cost more. Baby semah are small and cost little. What a difference size makes!!








August 26, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Chicken fried with Salted Vegetables

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Fresh kampong chicken is always available in the longhouse. However it is also fairly easy for the longhouse women to buy frozen chicken parts in the small villages today. With the arrival of electricity in the rural areas, freezers are quite common in the longhouses.

An enterprising family may set up a small shop in the longhouse to sell frozen meat, frankfurters and other sundry goods. So chicken wings, drumsticks and breast meat are easily available. In this way when guests arrive without notice, or when a group of friends arrive for fellowship, meat can be purchased without having the men go out to fish in the river or go hunting in the jungle, like in the past. Indeed even pork and wild boar meat can be sold especially when the hunters have their own freezer.

One very memorable longhouse dish is chicken stir fried with home made salted ensabi. Chillies make the dish very aromatic. Ginger also makes the dish tasty.

Ensabi is the indigenous green mustard, a vegetable which is grown prolifically when the land is tilled for padi to grow. The tilling of the land, the sowing of seeds and the growing of the padi would take time and meanwhile the farmers would have extra vegetables like ensabi and even corn growing on the side of the land. Other vegetabls like long beans, cucumbers and bitter gourds are also grown.

When the chicken and ensabi are boiled together to make a soup, it is a very welcome dish too.

The best part is any left over of the soup can be added to porridge for a good breakfast the next day. That is a very frugal way of not letting any food go to waste.

August 25, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Ikan Bertutu

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The bertutu or haruan (Malay) is a very tasty fish and is popularly known as Soon Hock in West Malaysia. In East Malaysia it is known as Bertutu or Ikan Paloi. Why is it called Paloi or Stupid Fish? In the olden days a bertutu might be hooked by a fisherman but managed to escape because of its strength. However it would come back to eat another worm and get hooked again. It is very slow in nature and it does not swim away when a predator comes. Often a farmer can even use his own hands to catch a good sized Ikan Paloi.

The Bertutu is called Marble Goby or Oxyeleotris marmorata because of its skin colouration. It is native to the fresh waters of the Mekong and Chao Praya basins, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

For many years now, in Sarawak, the Bertutu is a respected fish as it is believed to have healing properties and is best eaten after surgeries or childbirths. Brand's has made essence out of the bertutu. These bottled essence are popular gifts for the sick and the elderly.

Interestingly it is not commercialized, hence the wild bertutu often fetches very high prices when they are caught live!!

When steamed, its white flesh is extremely silky and tasty. It does not have any muddy or fishy smell.

All photos by Sarawakiana.

August 24, 2017

Second Division Resident GRH Arundell and Family

In 1945 (Sept), it was reported by the British Borneo Civil Administration Unit - Kuching  that the Resident of Second Division, Mr. G. R. H. Arundel and his family at Mujan, Ulu Ai and some Dutch soldiers were murdered by the Poi Ibans.

Arundell had been a popular resident among the Ibans in the Second Division and he had built a wooden fort in Lubok Antu, which was also burnt by some rebels.


Image result for Fort Arundell in Lubok Antu


In his book, "Fairland Sarawak" Alaistair Morrison described Arundell as a good Resident who married a local Dayak lady. Morrison also described Arundell's habit of calling for dinner blowing a Hunting Horn (which was later found after the Second World War). Arundell loved rural life and enjoyed the simple life of the uplands.

The Colonial Government rebuilt the wooden fort and named it Fort Arundell after the slained Resident.

Nang Chong Stories : 7 inch nail in the head (Lee Hua Sawmill)


Image result for Lee Hua Sawmill, Sibu




the Lee Hua Sawmill was the centre of social life in the 1960's. Ramin brought in a lot of wealth to the local people. In fact at the height of the sawmill business, there were at least 200 people working day and night, using the machinery to make planks and other sewn timber .

Tug boats, even big ships were berthed at the jetty.

Paradom jetty, just next to it was a popular boat stop. Many people from Bintangor and further in land, would even come out to use the ferry , as a shorter route to Sibu.

This was how busy it was.

But when the Communist trouble started to bubble and the people were in trouble. Many were harrassed by the jungle people and the armed forces also did not give the people any peace. Lots of villagers started to move away out of fear. A few who were informers were brutally killed.

One such case was a man who was recognised as an informer and he was killed by the guerrillas who pushed a 7 inch nail into his head. He was left to die on the road side and no villager dared to move his body.

The people's livelihood was seriously disturbed by the curfew hours.

And slowly, the sawmill business came almost to a halt.

Sarawakian Local Delights : Belian Menu

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The owner of this eatery in Miri is really creative.

Belian or red wood is the hardest of the hardwood specieis in Sarawak. Since the coming of the Foochows, belian has been the sturdiest and most desired building materials amongst the Chinese. Belian is best for beams, pillars, plank walks, bridges etc. And excellent as posts of pepper vines. Today belian is favoured as a material for higher end furniture.

He uses belian roof shingles to write this menu and hang them at the entrance of his shop.

For your evening meal (the two Chinese words wrtten above) you can select  the following, reading from left to right
a) buttered prawns, sambal prawns
b) Midin, peria (bitter gourd)
c) Vegetables and toufu
d) Spare ribs, Golou (old style)pork
e) fresh fish
f( Thai style lemon chicken
g) Onion and Ginger chicken, Soup
h) cangkok manis, bok choy

August 19, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Kuih Bangkuang



The people of the Baram, be they Chinese or non Chinese, have created as special kuih called Marudi Kuih or Kuih Bangkuang, which is made from bangkuang or digua or jicama.
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The shredded bangkuang is seasoned with salt, sliced chillies, pepper. A rice flour batter is used to combine the bangkuang together. A special ladle which looks like a small round container is heated up by the hot oil in the kuali and the batter filled with bangkuang is placed in the ladle and lowered into the hot oil. When almost cooked, the kuih will float in the oil and another can be made. A few ladles can be used at the same time if the kuali is big.

This kuih is often served as a snack when visitors come for a visit or for a meeting.

Church gatherings in the Baram and Miri areas would always have this kuih as one of the snacks.

August 16, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Malay Style Fried Noodles

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The Malay style of cooking noodles is slightly different from other styles. First of all, the ingredients like garlic, onions and ginger have to be pounded and made into a paste called tumis. This must be fried in quite a bit of hot oil for 3 minutes

Then comes the other important ingredient , the chilli paste and tomato sauce which must be added in the next stage. Sugar and salt will then be added. Give it a taste. Mix well. Stir in chosen shredded vegetables like sawi, cabbage and bean sprouts , fry until wilted.

Finally add the noodles and mix well.

(Crack some eggs and scramble and mix with the noodles as a great option)

Garnish with spring onions, chillies, and top with sliced limes.








August 14, 2017

Hua Hong Stories : Embryos of chickens and Python

During the early days of the Foochow pioneers in Sibu, many chickens were actually swallowed whole by pythons.

And in turn the Foochow pioneers would kill the pythons.No automatic alt text available.

Hens which were full of unlaid eggs were seldom slaughtered because they were supposed to be kept for laying of eggs and most families would keep at least half a dozen hens. In that way the whole family would have eggs throughout the year.Image may contain: food

However only in certain circumstances that hens were slaughtered for food. Usually an old hen would be slaughtered because it had broken a leg or looked as if it was not so healthy or it could not lay any more eggs. Hence the saying that old hens were only good for soup. The chicken meat would be too tough for the seniors who in those days had very poor dental health.

Today old layers are slaughtered to make superior soup in restaurants.

The embryos found in the hen would often be given only to the elderly.

Once my father shot a fairly large python which was stealing our hens in our backyard in Pulau Kerto, at the Hua Hong Ice factory.

One hen was badly injured and my parents decided to give the hen and the python to the Iban and Melanau staff to enjoy. The hen according to my mother was full of unlaid eggs. She was so disappointed that a python should come and visit the hens.

Both the hen and the python had a lot of embryos much to the delight of the staff.









August 12, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Small Intestines with Dried Chillies

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The small intestines of the pig are well loved by the indigenous people of Sarawak.

Although many people do not wish to eat anything from the internal parts of the pig or other animals, the Ibans and other indigenous people of Sarawak can prepare wonderful and memorable dishes using these "spare parts".

The small intestines are tasty when cooked with dried chillies, chilli sauce and lots of lemon grass and onions.

Although they are chewy at times, well seasoned and braised over a longer period of time, they become very delectable.

This dish is available in fast food stalls and "rumah asap" or smoke houses (selling bbq meats), and ethnic food outlets all over Sarawak.

It is also a dish prepared for longhouse festivals especially when home grown pigs are slaughtered.

According to a friend, wild boar intestines are awesome.

August 11, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Garam Apong or Attap Salt

Sea salt was not available in the interior of Sarawak. The Iban community like other indigenous communities inland faced  health issues related to sodium deficiency. Hence goitre was a common health problem. A common solution in the olden days was to give iodized salt to the patients.

In the coastal areas of Sarawak, where nipah is found, the leaves become the source of salt for the Malays and Melanaus.

Nipah salt was used to preserve, conserve and ferment foods before the coming of refrigeration to Sarawak. Today, modern and cheaper processed salts have threatened the production of nipah salt.



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The mature palm leaves are cut and harvested and spread out on mats to dry in the sun for 3 to 4 days. Once dried, the leaves are burned and the ashes collected.

The ashes are then put into a huge wok or kuali of water to boil. This liquid is constantly stirred to help quicken evaporation. Soon the salt solidifies and collects at the bottom of the kuali,forming a cake of salt.

After the cooling period, the salt is wrapped in nipah leaves like in the photo above for storage or for the market.

Nipah salt can be found in tamus in Miri, Bekenu and Bintulu.   


Source : Slow Food Foundation for Bio Diversity - https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/nipah-salt/

August 8, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Daun Mandai and Kulat


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Daun Mandai is a sweet tasting wild organic vegetable loved by the Iban community. This wild plant is normally found in secondary jungles in Sabah and Sarawak. 

 The Ibans normally pluck the leafy young shoots for cooking.

Today however, a lot of this leafy vegetables are sold at weekend Pasar Tani or Tamu.

Several Ibans have also testified that it is good for their health!

The vegetable goes well with wild mushrooms, shrimp paste and ikan bilis.




Recipe for this dish

Ingredient:
1. Fresh daun mandai - wash and cut at about 2 inch
2. Pound some ikan bilis and/or dried shrimps
3. Salt to taste,some garlic
4. Cooking oil for saute
5. Some chillies, optional
6. A bit of water

Optional:
1. Bamboo shoot/wild mushrooms


Method:
1. Fry anchovies until crispy. Set aside
2. Saute pounded chillies (optional) garlic until fragrant
3. Add in daun mandai. Stir.
4. Add in a bit of water if slightly dry. Add mushrooms.
5. Add in salt to taste. 

August 5, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Cincaluk or Fermented Shrimps



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Cincaluk or fermented shrimps is  made from bubuk, or krill which come in swarms in the shallow waters of South China Sea, along the Sarawak coast, usually after the first lunar moon.
No photo description available.
In Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia,Korea and Fujian these tiny shrimps can be found too and they also come in different seasons.

The Fujian people of China, my ancestral people, enjoy eating Ha Cien (cincaluk in Foochow) since time immemorial. Thus my maternal grandmother would always enjoy a bottle of freshly made cincaluk which is an equivalent of her Fujian version,after the Chinese New Year in Sibu. She would even make her own Ha Cien if she could get hold of some bubuk from the Melanaus and Malays who rowed their boats to her jetty in the 1920 -1930's.

 虾[虫千] (Mandarin: xia qian), where [虫千] is now an obsolete character made up of radical 虫 ('chong' means 'insect' but read as 'hui-3' if acting as a radical) and 千 ('qian' means 'thousand').(How K. Wuong)

Today cincaluk could be store bought or just simply made at home if the housewife would like to make her own. Fresh bubuk or shrimps(aka udang geragau or krill) must be bought fresh off the boat if possible. Salt is added to the bubuk and one must never use chlorinated water to wash the shrimps. Some rice or gluey rice water must be added too. After the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, they are stored in a jar and allowed to ferment for three days.

To make the cincaluk pinker or redder many makers use Chinese red wine yeast to enhance the colour. Some also add sugar to improve the taste of the cincaluk.

Ha cien is usually served as a condiment or a dipping sauce, in a small bowl with chillies, sliced shallots and lime juice.No photo description available.

It can be used as part of a dish e.g. a popular Foochow dish is a slice of toufu topped with thin slices of belly pork and cincaluk and chllies, steamed quickly and served with hot rice. Another popular Foochow dish is boiled belly pork served with cincaluk dipping sauce.


A word of caution. Once the cincaluk is bottled, fermentation will be ongoing and pressure will build up in the bottle. So care must be taken when opening the pressurized bottle containing cincaluk. It has happen to many a housewife. The bottle of cincaluk may end up on the kitchen ceiling and the aftermath can be a horror story for any cleaner.




August 4, 2017

Bananas in Yunnan

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Yunnan is a province in China that has not cold winter or spring. Here bananas are plentiful. In fact the Chinese government is encouraging Yunnan, Hainan and Guangdong to become big banana producers.

Banana was once a novelty in China. When a visitors arrived bringing some bananas, it was considered very auspicious and kind.Older folks believe in eating bananas as often as possible. They would be more familiar with bananas than apples.

Yunnan produces mainly Cavendish bananas which are fragrant and sweet. They are also prettier and bigger than other varieites.

August 3, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Jering

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Sliced jering stir fried with belacan,chillies and garlic.

Jering (Archidendron pauciflorum) is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae and is native to South East Asia.

The seeds are a popular dish, particularly in Sarawak, Borneo. However they are also part of the diet of the Thais, Mynmarese, and Indonesians.

One favourite way of preparing the jering is Ulam. Ulam is an appetising salad served during a meal. So several raw vegetables can be prepared and served in a platter with an accompanying dipping sauce made with belacan and lime juice.

the seeds are mildly toxic and kampong folks would let visitors know that they may get a headache from eating some jering. In some extreme cases, some people who have eaten too much jering might end up in a hospital suffering from jering poisoning.

However the beans and leaves of the jering tree are traditionally used for medicinal purposes such as purifying the blood. Many people also believe that jering can be further researched to help prevent diabetes and other illnesses.

There is more in the black UFO looking seeds than meet the eye. The pods of the seeds can dye textile (e.g. silk) purple while the bark also provides a black dye. 

Besides the jering tree is good building timber and for traditional coffin making.

The raw seeds have been used to make pesticides to kill and prevent the growth of pests.

Source : Wikipedia.




Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...