Sibu Tales : Frying of Fish

Before the non stick Tefal pan came to Sibu, Foochow mothers generally used wood fire for their cooking. And the only appliance or cooking utensil they had was the huge wok or cast iron Chinese kuali. In a strange way, many called it the Cantonese wok.


the skill I admire most when I watch my mother cook was the way she could fry fish without ever getting them stuck to the kuali.

Her secret was very simple she said. We had to make sure that the fire was high and the kuali was heated through before adding the add.

Pomfret which has thin skin needs to shallow fried this way. The cook has to wait for the skin to be fried through before turning the fish.

Fish fried this way to perfection is the best way to get a good aroma and taste out of fresh fish. It is the taste of traditional Foochow cooking.