Fresh River Prawns or Udang Gala

today fresh river prawns fetch premium prices all over Sarawak. There are freshly caught and are seldom sold frozen because they are in such high demand in eaterins and restaurants. During Chinese New Year the prices can go as high as RM100 per kg.

In the 1950's my father who was a keen fisherman would start fishing after dinner in the evening by the jetty and by 9 he could come home with a bucket of prawns. This was how provident the Rajang river was.

He would particularly like to go fishing when my maternal grandmother came to visit.

Even though my father was manager of the Ice Mill, he never froze his freshly caught prawns.

Smaller prawns were caught by him whenever he went to the river side using his cast net..

My paternal grandfather was fond of river prawns and fish and my father would be pleased to get some for him. Grandfather loved patin stesamed with soy sauce.

That is how I remember how we ate udang gala in our younger days.