SPECIAL FOOD IN MUKAH

 

 SPECIAL FOOD IN MUKAH,SARAWAK

Mukah’s signature dish is umai, a spicy salad of raw marinated fish with shallots, lime juice and chillies. It was invented by Melanau fishermen who were reluctant to cook aboard their fishing boats because of the risk of fire. Other local favourites - not for the squeamish - include sago worms (actually sago-trunk-dwelling beetle larvae), and lameh, caterpillars that have recently spun their chrysalis. The last two dishes are hard to find in restaurants, but can be obtained at the town market and are often served in Melanau homes.

 

TEBALOI

Mukah produces quite a number of specialties which are popular throughout Sarawak, and are even exported to the rest of Malaysia. One of the most well-known is "Tebaloi", a flat bisquit made from Sago flour. It is normally eaten as a between-meal snack with tea or coffee. 

 

 

Another popular snack is the Sago bead made also from Sago flour. They look a bit like pepper, and tastes dry and smoky. They are normally eaten alongside a meal, often together with "Umai".

 

These are called "Pipus Ikan" - fish paste grilled inside a palm leaf parcel. It is a traditional method of preserving the fish for longer periods, and are given to fishermen going out to sea. They are quite tasty !

One of my favourite things from Mukah are the smoked prawns. Large prawns are smoked and dried to preserve them, and the process intensifies the taste of prawns. They are great as a savoury snack, but not cheap. 

 

Mukah also produce lots of other dried seafood like anchovies and small dried prawns which are an important ingredient in making sambal

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Dried fish are great for making soup or fish stock.

These are "Keropok Leko", a fish cracker made from fish paste. They are not native to Mukah but are actually a traditonal snack originating from some of the Eastern States in West Malaysia. Now they are found all over Malaysia as a popular bazaar snack. These Mukah versions were really good especially with a good chili sauce.