November 30, 2017

Sg. Merah - Heng Hua Moo (Nenek Heng Hua)

In 1981 I moved to Sungei Merah's Airport Lane 7. This was our first family home which we thought was a wonderful neighbourhood - quiet and having an air of suburbia.
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We had a multi-racial makeup - Ibans with Henghuas and a few families of Malays and Melanaus. Our children were happy to have friends from different backgrounds.

One very significant personnel living near us at that time was the well known Heng Hua Moo - a Chinese traditional medicine lady. As our house was the first on the lane we often had strangers coming to our gate to ask for the direction to this healer's home.

Almost every one in Sungei Merah knew her as she was so popular and so successful in her treatment of folks with twisted ankles and broken bones and other physical ailments.

But her personal life was truly dramatic and stranger than fiction.

Sibu Tales : Empawah, Killings in the Backyard

Today Empawah is headed by Penghulu Wong Tung Sing with several other community leaders under him. Empawah is translated to Chinese words White Lily River. Bai Hua He.

The security of the area is so much better now with proper roads, police surveillance etc. Today one can reach this village in 20 minutes by car as the road is very good.

The Rascom days are over, the Gurkha soldiers are gone and the Malay Regiment gone too.

The days of CCO are over.

Empawah was known as a black area in the 1970's when gunshots,and even machine gun fire could be heard frequently.

Families were really scared in those days, Schools like Tien Jing was in danger of being closed down for good (one of the reasons why it was moved to Sibu) Su Lai school was also moved to Sibu. Many children had their education interrupted and many girls were forced to marry earlier. Boys were sent away so that their lives could be saved. Some were sent as far away as Sandakan. Some poor families kept their children in Chung Cheng Secondary school as boarders, when in those days, they could take the early morning motor launch to school at 6 a.m. and the last boat from Sibu before 6.
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Thian Jing school looking very desolate today

These students carried their own lunch boxes, known as tingkap or cheng ark.

One story I have been told was the story of how my relatives' house was riddled with bullets. If the house is still there, you can still see the bullet holes.

My aunt was in the jetty washing clothes and of course life was scary in those days. Any time the Malay Regiment would come by the jetty and shoo her off as it was bad curfew time.

That day the gun fire was really near the house but she and the children were able to hide under their wooden bed. Luckily no stray bullets caught any one of them. There were about 12 bullet holes on the wall facing the road, near the front door. The family was petrified and they could not sleep the whole night.

In retrospect, even civilians were not spared. There was no investigation as to why the guns were fired at their house.

The next day, it seemed there was a celebration among the Malay Regiment. Three corpses of purported CCO were carried out from the interior tied to poles like they were wild pigs. My relatives had very little food for a few days as they could not go out and the soldiers were camping along the village roads waiting for their boats to come.

My aunt (May God bless her soul) told us that she could remember the smell of the dead corpses for years. She told her children not to peep out of the windows. And she told the family not to make any noise or move around too much.

Soon after, the family moved to Sibu and rented two small rooms after the incident at the advice of the headman. In fact many did move away for good.

November 29, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Bitter Vine

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This bitter vine grows wild around many homes in Miri. The leaves are heart shaped.

This is a bitter vine sold in local indigenous markets. According to many people, including the Chinese, this vine can be easily planted in our backyards.

Boil small slices of the vines as a drink and your high blood pressure can be lowered.

This is also sold in many Chinese shops in Bekenu, Niah, Miri and Marudi.

November 28, 2017

The Indigenous Sirat - How to wear it with style

The sirat is the word for loin cloth in the Iban language.Image may contain: 1 person, standing and outdoor

But before the modern wear became global in the 1950's and appeared in every high street shop men were wearing some unique traditional underwear or none at all.Image may contain: one or more people, people standing and outdoor

In the 1930's for example all Ibans from young to old would be wearing the sirat - a loin cloth of 3 yards wound around the groin to protect the family jewels so to speak. So do the Japanese! Today
the Sumo wrestlers continue to wear their loin cloth during and beyond their fights.

Many Ibans continue to admire the sirat and even wear it on certain occasions.


November 25, 2017

Nang Chong Stories : Swimming in the River Rajang



A faded photograph still brings back a lot of memories.Image may contain: one or more people, outdoor and water

When we were young, we all learned how to swim in the huge Rajang River, 360 miles long, making it the longest river in Malaysia.

The river is the mother river of the Foochows who depended on the Rajang for cleaning, transport, food resources and agriculture.

Our cultural and geographical history is all part and parcel of the river's development over the years.

In the1950s and 1960's the Rajang was clean and we swam in the river until our parents had to call us to return home. It was literary our playground.

Kang Hin Yu, Headman

When my family moved to Sungei Merah from Sibu town, my widowed mother renewed her friendship with the Kangs, Mr. and Mrs. Kang Hin Yu and their daughter Miss Kang Ing Ming.

Mr. Kang Hin Yu 甘興宇 Kang Hing Yii (1919-1995)was a soft spoken man who looked after the welfare of the Foochows under his care in Tanjong Kunyit. He was a Headman or  Kii Diong (Head of a District). Tanjong Kunyit was the neighboring district of Nang Chong, my mother's district. And in those days  every one knew every one, so my mother was happy to be reunited with

 Mrs. kang.











From a write up, Mr. Kang was only 4 months old when his mother, Tiong Chuo Yung (Zhang Zhu Rong)張珠容 took him from Fujian to Sarawak where she married a Mr. Tang. She bore two sons for Tang.

Life during his younger days was not easy as he had to plant rice for the family. His stepfather was an absentee father, who also died tragically at a young age. Mr. Kang's mother took him to study in the Sacred Heart School in Sibu. He became a teacher for a short while and then later joined the civil service under the British Colonial Government.
Interestingly he quit from the Civil service and started his own business. Soon he was elected to the Sibu Rural District Council. However he only wanted to serve for one term. He was made Chinese Headman for Tanjong Kunyit, from 1959 to 1970.

Mrs. Kang or Aunty Loh Kiew Eng (1923-1996) was born in Sibu. During the Japanese Occupation, she went to a village school to learn English and was taught by Mr. Kang who later became her husband. As a home maker, she looked after her small family and reared a lot of chickens and sold eggs for a living. She was rather famous for her egg business.

The couple later moved to Sungei Merah where they acquired a good property and built their lovely home.

Their daughter Miss Kang Ing Ming taught in Tiong Hin Secondary School until she retired. She passed away in 2017.

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Datuk Thambipillay was posted to Tanjung Kunyit during the turbulent years of communist insurgencies. He was there for six months and made friends with the nice Foochow Headman Mr. Kang. In fact Mr. Kang gave him a Chinese scroll as a token of thanks for his efforts to keep the peace. 44 years after his stint in Tanjong Kunyit, in 2016, he came back to visit Tanjong Kunyit to meet friends. He had also written a book about his life and his work in Sarawak. The photo above shows Datuk Thambipillay with a group of friends and Mr. Wong Meng Lei. He was sad he could not see his good friend Mr. Kang Hin Yu who passed away in 1995.


(Photos and facts from Google)










November 24, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights : Haruan or Leh Ngii

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1.7 kg. is quite a big fish, now costing  about 45 ringgit at least.

It is interesting how the haruan or leh ngii has always been eaten in the rural areas of Sarawak as part of a meal. No one in the past had actually considered it as a health giving special fish which could help in healing wounds.

Perhaps the Malays have thought of the haruan as a fish with healing properties.

Today many people have come to believe in the fish giving benefits to women after child birth. It is believe that eating the fish would also help reduce pain in wounds.

Many health product companies have in the past few decades produced essence of Haruan, in the same way as Essence of Chicken. The essence in bottles cost quite a bit of money.

The haruan is usually steamed and must be freshly killed for best effects. All haruans are sold live in the wet markets. It can also be fried and salted.

It is nice if cooked in a soup with lots of sour fruits like terong. A clay pot would be a good way of bringing out the best flavours of the haruan. I like it when shallow fried and than braised in soy beans and a sweet sauce.

The fish flesh is white and has no smell.

Yes ago the haruan swam freely in the clear streams and not many people actually looked for it.

November 23, 2017

Sarawakian Local Delights: Ikan Buntal

Photo of Yellow Puffer fish , taken in Lingga.

These are yellow ikan buntal or the yellow buntal. According to the locals, they are very delicious. The buntal is one of the few fishes in Asia which have yellow varieties. Some buntal are white with black dots on the body.

Ikan buntal kuning are prized by the locals and it is found mainly in the Second division of Sarawak. Its roe, when salted, is great sought after by most Ibans, and other Sarawakians.

The salted buntal or pufferfish is another local delicacy . It is most abundantly found around Spaoh, Second Division of Sarawak. The fish is the mascot of Spaoh.  Every year there is even a Ikan Buntal Festival in Spaoh.

the Incident of Greek Seasoning

Pecking Order.


In any society, there is a pecking order. There are always HENS who make a lot of noise and they peck to their hearts' delight.

This brings to mind one incident in my life not long ago. I am not a person who enjoys pecking ...and light hearted small talk even.


but I was really amused when the women started talking about a bottle of Greek Seasoning some one brought along to the BBQ.

It is not every day we could have Greek seasoning. And it is also not every day we can easily find a bottle of Greek Seasoning in a supermarket.

But the gossip during the part made every woman, or at least a few to make a bee line to the supermarket the next day  to buy a bottle of the awesome seasoning? 

Their husbands were pushed to get them even from Brunei.

But no to worry. Google will save many of us...and we can save our money too.

Making our own Greek Seasoning. 

Directions:


  1. Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.
  2. Serve with steaks, pork chops, chicken, or fish.
  3. Add to red and white sauces. 


      NOTE : Not long after the Greek Seasoning Incident, another Incident occured and the group fell apart. 

      I still make my own Greek Seasoning, whenever I need it.

      November 22, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Wood Ears

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      Local wood ears are found all over Sarawak.

      They are usually used to flavour vegetable dishes in Iban cuisine, especially in the longhouse.

      Very often, the native vegetable sellers already match the vegetables in a platter for their customers. And in fact it is a nice customer service because the customers just need to buy the combined vegetables which are already sliced and cut, take home, wash and then cooked.

      Wood ears are normally boiled with pumpkin leaves, sweet young corn.

      November 21, 2017

      Sibu Tales: Recipe from Bukit Lan




      Some time ago I re-connected with my cousin who  was married to a guy in 24 Acres, or Bukit Lan. We did not meet all the years she was bringing up a family. She was in Sibu and later I was in Miri. I found a photo of hers on a page in Google with her son who was then working in KL. What a delightful find.

      We later met up when she and her sister decided to visit Miri.Image may contain: food

      She told me that she learned a lot about cooking traditional dishes while in Bukit Lan. Her in laws made dieh bian, fresh noodles etc. To her making dieh bian is simple, and today she often helps with church activities, producing kuihs for tea!! How dedicated she is to the Methodist Church. It is good to know that her sons are all very godly and that she is blessed by having a son who is a pastor.

      Whenever I see the Foochow dieh bian, or UFO, I would think of her. 


      (Recipe in English,simplified and adapted from " Rejang Delights 3"  by Yii Ming Yuek - available in the Methodist Book Room in Sibu at RM13.00)

      1. Blend A and then add in B

      A. 5 0z soy bean (soaked for 4 hours)
      2 oz cold cooked rice
      12 oz water

      B. 250 g rice flour
      salt
      1 1/2 tbsp fish/squid gravy
      2. Add in some chopped chives

      Filling

      150 gm minced pork mixed with 1 tsp corn flour

      6 small onions finely sliced
      1 tbsp chopped garlic

      some light soy sauce and sugar.

      Method:
      Heat up 4 tbsp of oil. Saute sliced onions until golden brown. Dish up.
      Saute chopped garilic until fragrant. Add the minced pork. Cook until dry and then mix in fried onions. 

      Heat oil for deep frying. Heat the round ladle for a while. Remove. Fill the ladle 1/3 full with the batter and then add the filling. Add some more batter till full.

      Deep fry in medium heat till golden brown. If the oil is too hot the skin of the fritters would be dark brown and smoke will fill up your kitchen!!


      Your UFO will float beautifully. Have a few good turns a some quality checks. That's the satisfying part of the cooking. Drain well on nice kitchen paper. Serve piping hot.


      The best part of growing up in the rural parts of Sarawak is having cousins getting together and learning to make traditional kuihs.


      November 20, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Sago Palms

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      This is a photo by Peter Lee. Look at the sago palms which are cut meticulously, same length.

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      sago worms
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      Sago palm, cut and cleaned ready for cooking (further trimming needed to get to the pith)






      the Sago Palm is an important palm to the Melanaus and most of the natives of Sarawak. Firstly it gives a suitable habitat for sago worms to grow. Sago worms is a delicacy to the Melanaus and others who love them. Secondly the pith or heart of the palm is a good vegetable and is consumed especially during festive season. Sago palms grow abundantly so it is fairly economical to cut down a few for food. Besides the sago palms grow fairly quickly. Thirdly the sago logs can be sent to the factories where the pith can be scraped or processed and sago flour is made. Sago flour from Sarawak is of high  quality and is exported to the USA, Taiwan and other parts of the world.

      It is indeed God's gift to the people of Sarawak.












      Sarawakian Local Delights : Fresh Terubok from Lingga

      According to local legends the male terubok can change sex from male to female. Kids used to say that the terubok caught in the sea is male, but when caught in the river it is a female.
      And today, Scientific studies have shown that the male Terubuk or big-mouthed shad, aka tenualosa toli, can change into a female when it reaches maturity.
      Scientifically the terubok is thus a pro­tandous hermaphrodite, which means the male can evolve into a female when it reaches maturity.
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      Photo by Sarawakiana. Terubok at Lingga, Sarawak.
      There are two breeding seasons per year and terubok is found in abundance at the estuaries of Batang Lupar, Batang Lassa.
      Lingga a small town in Sarawak has adopted the terubok as its town symbol.
      Terubok is valued by Sarawakians for its roe which is highly prized and priced. Its roe is sold separately and in the salted form usually. Tourists and locals alike buy the roe as gits for their loved ones. It is also commonly believed that the roes have aphrodisiac properties.
      There are many ways of cooking fresh terubok : steaming with a lot of ginger and chillies, deep frying, shallow frying, and barbequing. Wrapped in leaves and cooked over a slow fire is a great way of eating the bony but sweet fish is probably the best way.


      November 19, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Kasam Tapah

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      Tapah is a big fish in the Baram and Rajang rivers of Sarawak. In the past there were enormous supply of this delectable fish. Usually tapah is caught by fishing hooks as they are fairly big in size. Good size tapah weigh more than 4 kg while smaller ones can be only  1 or 2 kg. Some fishermen had in the passed caught tapah weighing more than 40 kg. In fact one local story even claims that a tapah had eaten a baby boy in the Baram.

      Having said all that, the tapah is a good fish to eat. The flesh is white when cooked and it is very tasty. Tapah found in the Baram and the Rajang are darker in colour and because they swim more they are not that fat. Some fishermen also claim that their skin is thicker. Tapah is a scale-less fish.

      The Foochows usually steam tapah steaks with ginger, and some Foochow red wine.

      Tapah steaks can be fried and they taste good too.

      In West Malaysia, the Chinese look for Wong Lim, 鲶 meaning yellow tapah which has 3 rigid white lines from body to tail. It has a yellowish and slimy body. This variety is found in muddy rivers and has more fat according to local fishermen.

      The Ibans like to cook tapah in bamboo and any excess would be made into salted tapah or kasam tapah.

      Salted tapah is fried with lemongrass like in the photo. It is really a nice dish and people would always ask for extra serving of rice.



      November 18, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Paku Ikan with Pork

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      When you have guests and your only vegetable is paku ikan at the back of your house by the river side, you can always create a lovely dish with pork, mushrooms and paku ikan, a recipe I took from Google and I have cooked it a few times as suggested by the chef..

      When visitors dropped by and my friend and I decided to cook with what I have in the fridge. Frozen pork was taken out and thawed as we foraged for some paku. The two of us told each other that our elders would have done the same thing and friends dropped by in the olden days. They would have taken a look at what they had in the backyard and rustle up a meal in no time.

      I had some kasam ensabi and kasam babi. Out of the kasam ensabi I had a lovely soup with pork bones. The kasam babi  was cooked with kechala flowers and kechala shoots, also from the backyard.

      A fresh fish was obtained at the tamu not far from my house and we had it barbequed on banana leaves out in the backyard. Fresh fish is nice and easy to prepare.

      We made a salad with big onions, chillies, kechala flowers, dried prawns and slices of cucumber.

      A huge omelette was made with some chives growing in the pot.

      that's for a fast dinner with good friends who "don't mind anything". The paku ikan and pork dish was a winner......

      It was a happy get together.

      November 17, 2017

      Belian : Ern Char Kuong, Ern Char Terng

      Wood Bucket


      In the olden days in Sibu, the Foochows used a lot of belian wood to make buckets and huge water receptacles to collect rain water for cooking, washing, etc.

      It was truly a great skill to make these belian wood buckets which never leak. When leakage started, the craftsman would even come to the house to do repairs and the bucket would be as good as new.

      Some belian wood buckets were so good that they were even used to contain large amounts of soups and rice during festivals and banquets.

      After more than 100 years of the Foochow settling in Sibu, the art of making belian buckets and wooden tanks is lost as the wood has disappeared, modern technology has taken over the culture of the Foochows and the local people.

      One of the  Tiong families in Sibu which made belian wood buckets today can still remember how their grandfather made them. Life was tough but because of his skill they have made a success of their lives through sheer hardwork and frugal life style.

      They used to live in the rubber garden they owned, which at present is part of the Rajang Park, Sibu.

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Hill Tumeric


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      Botanical name : cucuma pseudomontana. Family Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family)


      Hill tumeric is an Indian herb used in local and tribal medicine and is a source of arrowroot starch.
      It is different from the ordinary yellow turmeric which we cook with and can easily be found in the markets.

      According to some Indian friends, this plant can be used to cure jaundice and can treat body swellings.  Boiled tubers can help women to increase lactation. The tuber past among the Khand tribes is applied on the head for cooling effect. It would be nice to be able to grow this.

      However I am wondering if it is the same as what the Ibans call Entimut.

      Ref : http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Hill%20Turmeric.html




      November 16, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Rojak Sauce

      For a long time many of my friends wonder why the rojak sauce recipe is hard to get.

      Many cooks say that their recipes are family secrets and they would not give to any one. I had a hard time to get some one to give me a recipe. In fact a few times I was so broken hearted because I just could not make my own sauce for a plate of rojak I might want to serve at home.


      Well today, Google does not keep any secret.

      Here is one simple recipe, which gives you a rojak dipping sauce, without any cooking.


      2 tbsp shrimp paste/belacan
      3 tbsp tamarind mix (1tbsp fresh tamarind juice with 2 tbsp warm water)
      1 tbsp brown sugar
      1 ½ tbsp. white sugar
      1 stalk of chili padi (optional)
      2 tbsp toasted peanuts

      All you need is just to mix or blend these ingredients together.
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      My photo of a nice rojak in Miri.

      Another recipe from Google is this one.

      1. Pour the water into the saucepan and place it over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to low. 2. Add the dark brown sugar to the saucepan and stir with a whisk until it dissolves.3.Add the oyster sauce, shrimp paste and tamarind paste to the saucepan and continue whisking for two minutes. 4.Stir the Scotch bonnet pepper into the contents of the saucepan and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes. 5.Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the sauce to cool for 30 minutes or to room temperature before tossing with rojak.


      things you will need: 



      November 15, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Pedalai

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      The Pedalai is a fruit which is known as the cousin of the terap, a very sweet, fleshy equatorial fruit only endemic in Borneo Islands. After the flesh of the fruitlets are eaten, the seeds can be boiled as a lovely snack with just a bit of salt. It is full of good protein and carbohydrate.

      the tree is a huge equatorial tree which grows more than 150 feet tall. So far commercialisation of this fruit tree is not known in Sarawak.

      The Ibans do know where some of these fruits are grown and wait for their fruition. Usually the fruits are plucked when they are a little ripe. Fruits which have fallen to the grown cannot be eaten any more as they are too ripe. Since the trees are very tall, only the best climbers can get to pluck the fruits. Hence the pedalai are not commonly found in cities and towns.

      Lingga, and some of the more rural bazaars would see some of them brought to the native market from time to time. However with the rapid rate of deforestation in the state, this wild fruit may be near extinction.

      Artocarpus sericicarpus

      November 14, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Slow BBQ Belly Pork

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      BBQ belly pork from E Mart area, Miri.

      Today, Rumah Asap or Smoke Houses have grown all over Sarawak. These outlets sell all sorts of meat cooked over an open fire. And often in the smouldering coals, one can get overcooked and smoked meat, which some people like. Ikan Keli, Ikan Sultan, and all available fish in the markets can be bbq over these open fire.

      The customers order and pay for their food by the kilos. Selections are made from the meat already on the charcoals.

      Vegetable dishes are prepared by other stalls.

      At the time of writing, bbq belly pork is being sold at 36 ringgit per kg, Usually large pieces of the belly pork are bbq on the racks, and the meat would be weighed according to the order, and then sliced in this way.

      In an interesting way, this kind of open fire bbq renders the belly pork very tasty and without the greasiness one would imagine.

      The seasoning of the meat is probably a trade secret and the dipping sauce of soy, sugar, limes, and chillies vary from stall to stall. But the tastiness of the dipping sauce is usually uniquely Sarawakian.

      A few men can easily consume 2 kg of belly pork and down a dozen tins of cold beer while sitting down for a good chat over the weekend.

      November 13, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Ikan Belida

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      Photo by Inggol Ranggong

      Ikan Belida pr knife fish (also known as featherback fish) is a fresh water fish found in many rivers in Sarawak, especially in the Baram, Murum and Loagan Bunut (a national park near Miri). Where the rivers are clean with sunken wood bottoms the belida will survive well and reproduce. It feeds on small fishes, insects and vertebrates, mostly at night. Hence fishermen with torch lights can catch several of them with nets when the river water is clear.

      Today the indigenous people of the Bakun area from time to time can enjoy netting a belida for their dinner.

      Belida is a very clean fish and its flesh is good for making of fish balls. Sliced into steaks, deep fried belida is a delicacy. An expensive delicacy, belida fish crackers have become very rare. Belida fish balls are also a great delicacy favoured by Sarawakians who in the past have caught belida in their nets.

      However today it is also a good aquarium species and its various varieties are all very pretty.

      It is known as  the feather back and its scientific name is Chilala lopis.

      It is also found in Vietnam, Cambodia, Peninsula Malaysia, Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java.

      November 12, 2017

      Sarawak : Millettia Vine鸡血藤

      These vines are commonly found in Sarawak and many parts of Asia. Because when a hunter or forager cuts one of the vines, a red fluid will ooze out, hence it is called Chicken Blood Vine by the Chinese.

      鸡血藤

      According to a local tale in Miri in the 1990's, many people were worried when they discovered blood oozing out of some vines on Canada Hill several years ago. They thought that the spirits were angry with them. Words spread around and there was a lot of fear. A Chinese sinseh explained the properties of the Chicken Blood Vines to the locals.

      But not long after that, the squatter area of Canada Hill was completely burnt.

      Image result for Millettia Vine鸡血藤


      A cross section of the vine will reveal pretty designs. The Penans of Sarawak can find a lot of these vines and they sell the cuttings to the shop keepers in Marudi and Long Lama for example.

      The flowers look like pea flowers.

      The Chinese sin seh would say that the chicken blood vine  is a cure for numbness, low back pain, knee pain and joint soreness. It is also a cure for vertigo. Try to ask your local Chinese sin seh shops.











      Sarawakian Local Delights : Oil Palm Hearts or Upa Sawit

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      It was in 1988 when I moved to Miri that I had my first taste of a lovely dish, with a delightful fine textured and creamy shoot which looked like bamboo shoot but it was not. It did not have that sourish bitterness of the normal bamboo shoot that I knew.

      That was my first taste of the palm heart from Oil Palm or upa sawit. In those days palm oil was new to many Sarawakians as it was a crop grown by government estates and some private companies.

      From then on, it became a common dish at my new home as it was readily available in the market.

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      Palm shoots cooked with wild boar meat
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      Palm shoots cooked with fresh pork ribs
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      At Ruas Kitchen in Miri, the palm hearts are cooked with wild torch ginger flowers, shoots and chillies with pork

      Many friends of mine cook Upa Sawit cooked in a mild coconut milk based curry with chicken, local wood ears, some fu chuk (bean curd sticks) chinese dried mushrooms in chicken broth is a hearty soup for the family and large number of friends in a gathering. That is indeed a really memorable dish to share with good friends and loved ones.


      November 11, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Ikan Sultan, Upa Kechala, and Bunga Kechala.

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      Ikan sultan is a very bony but tasty fish. It is a fish that is sold either fresh or frozen in most markets. A cousin is Ikan Padi which comes from most rivers in Sarawak also. The bigger cousin of Ikan Sultan is the wild Jelawat which is a prized fish in most of the rivers in Borneo, especially in the Kapuas. Ikan sultan can also be commercially reared in fish farms or cages in rivers and lakes.

      A good way of cooking fresh ikan sultan (around 1.5 kg) is to slice it into steaks and braise with wild torch ginger flowers and stems which will take away the fishy smell.

      The sauce is very appetiizing especially when mixed with freshly cooked hot rice.

      One has to be very careful with the fine bones of the ikan sultan.

      November 10, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delight : Leaves for Table



      What a lovely idea using lovely leaves to line a table.

      This family of Kayans are enjoying a picnic near a secondary jungle in Sarawak. Look at the lovely tiles used for their table.
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      But my friends are using leaves as their natural table cloth.

      These leaves are called Daun Buan in Iban and Daun Simpor in Bahasa Malaysia.

      Sarawakians use a lot of leaves for many purposes and the leaves are also from many different kinds of trees.

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Kirinyuh

      This is a common plant and is used in cooking.Daun Kopasanda Atau daun Kirinyuh 50 Gram

      The Iban cuisine calls for the leaves to add sour taste to fish and it is indeed a very refreshing taste.

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Daun Anak Mambung

      Daun anak mambung is found almost everywhere in Sarawak especially in the open. However, it was commonly found around padi fields in the past.Image may contain: plant, tree, outdoor and natureImage result for Chinese herbs for bathing during confinement

      It is also used for rituals by the Ibans and therefore specially grown in some backyards. The plant grows up to 200 cm tall.  It is valued also by women who have been using the leaves and flowers to bathe during and after confinement for health benefits.

      the Chinese also include duan anak mambung as part of the bathing rituals for women in confinement.


      November 9, 2017

      Sibu Tales : Fill Stomach Fully 填饱 or Tien Bah








      The generosity of a Foochow host is superb since time immemorial in Sibu. 

      In the past, a Foochow banquet had ten courses. And it was even well prepared by a band of villagers who came together on a communal volunteer basis to help with a birthday or wedding banquet. Even tables and benches were borrowed from friends and relatives. Some of the villagers had only one table at home and they were even willing to lend it because they knew they would need to have the same favour in the future.

      The ten dishes would be the best the chefs could cook, including sharks fin, no less.

      Very often several pigs, more than 20 chickens and ducks would have been slaughtered for the event.

      One important dish which must not be missed out was the penultimate dish which the Foochows called Tien Bah. This dish was prepared especially by the host who was reluctant "to let his guests go home with a half filled stomach".

      The Foochows often asked each other, "Have you filled your stomach?" "Or you full?" "Did you eat enough?

      Hence this dish, which may be a famous mun mien dish, or a simple fried rice or fried noodles was in those days An Act of Love.

      When it was not touched, the host would quickly come and pack for those who had a long way to go in the village or for people who could not attend the event due to work .

      It was always touching to see how kind the host was to his guests. It was good to see this custom, which might not be practised nowadays due to some practical reasons.



      November 8, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Penan Chopsticks and Linut



      The Penans have been favouring the eating of sago starch porridge since time immemorial. Today they have the urban traders who sell processed sago starch, almost like Instant Linut.

      While they are able to enjoy their own traditional sago starch dish or LINUT or linut /ambuyat, many Penans still living in their villages have also been able to make a lot of the linut chopsticks (seen in the photo below) for sale in the arts and crafts shops in Miri. These chopsticks or clippers are also good souvenirs for tourists to take home to their own countries after visiting Sarawak. They are made from sago fronds. How creative these Penans are!!
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      Penan Chopsticks

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      Linut is eaten with a selection of good sambal and a selection of side dishes. the photo above is a spicy sauce with some pumpkin added.  It is a very nice belacan sambal to accompany the linut, cooked fluffy rice or even pulut panggang.
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      Linut or ambuyat is now even available in most hotels (upon request) in Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, especially in Melanau restaurants.



      (Acknowledgement : I was invited to a linut ambuyat lunch by a lovely Christian couple mR. and Mrs. Marcell Usup  from Miri. Thanks for the opportunity to photograph the dishes)

      November 7, 2017

      Sarawakian Local Delights : Paku Uban

      Sword Fern (Nephrolepis acutifolia) 


      The Ibans enjoy eating paku uban or paku kubuk as part of their diet during their farming season. The fern tops can be easily plucked from the river side or at the edges of their padi fields.

      White Hair Fern Tops or Paku Uban or Paku Kubuk is boiled with native red ginger and salt to help increase mother's lactation according to an Iban traditional belief. Hence during confinement many new fathers would go to the jungle to forage for this natural fern tops. Besides the vegetable is also good for every one in the family.

      The red ginger also fastens the shrinkage of the womb from the pregnancy.





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      This hairy fern grows alongside of paku pakis and is found by river banks all over Sarawak. However it is less popular than its cousins, paku ikan and midin, perhaps because of its hairy fronds and stems.


      However the heads are very crunchy which at times may be bitter. Besides being boiled, it can be prepared as a salad to be eaten with spicy sambal belacan.




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      It can also be stir fried with wild mushrooms from the jungle, thus making it an truly organic dish from the equatorial jungle.

      It is already making its appearance in some indigenous cuisine outlets in Miri and Kuching. Stir fried quickly with wild torch ginger and dried anchovies it can become a very crunchy and appetising vegetable dish.

      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!!...