Here is a story from my cousin Yew Ping who was growing into a young lady in the early 1950's. Great Grandmother was to move in with Grandfather in Sungei Merah and Yew Ping, the adopted grand daughter was asked to live with Second Uncle and Aunty in Binatang, at the Mee Ann Rice and Sawmill. The elders had agreed that once she was of marriageable age, she must be married off.
In those days all girls had to be married off and singlehood was never part of the social life. So she waited to be old enough to be married off and while waiting, she was a great help to my Second Aunt.
She told us that one of the best food they all had was the availability of marble goby or the stupid fish (Ikan bertutu). The fish has a very stupid reputation because it would stay at the same place in the water and bit the bait. If the bait came loose it would bite again. So fishermen call this fish Ikan Bodoh.
Marble goby is a very tasty fish and my grandfather loved the fish. Whenever he visited Binatang, he would look forward to having fish for his dinners. He would usually stay a week to see to the rice and saw mill,or he would take a few days to go down to the coast to look for more timber for the mill. He was so energetic according to Yew Ping.
Grandfather would pay the Malay fishermen one or two dollars for probably three marble goby. As the family was rather big living in Mee Ann, three fish would just be enough. He liked to eat chow chai fish soup. So Yew Ping would be the one to prepare the vegetables and the fish, and Second Aunt would cook the soup.
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| MARBLE GOBY SERVED IN A RESTAURANT IN MIRI. DELICIOUS |
Fishermen came very often to the rice mill and grandfather looked at the fish discerningly, sometimes he would buy them especially if the fish was very fresh. Sometimes he would wait at the jetty for other fishermen to row by and he would choose what he liked. He really loved eating fish.
Today in Miri Marble Goby costs RM100 per kg.
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