Sabah food ‘flies’ to Johor during Ramadan

JOHOR BAHRU: Sabahans who live in Johor need not pine for their indigenous food for many of the favourites can now be found in a local market, Pasar Muafakat Sabah @ Johor here.

Here, Sabahan delicacies commonly sought during Ramadan like the tehe-tehe (a type of sea urchin), sianglag, bianban, piutu, kinilau as well as agar-agar laut can easily be found here.

According to food vendor Zahti Salih, 46, the agar-agar laut (a type of seaweed) has been specially flown in from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, as it could not be found in Peninsular Malaysia.

“It is easy to cook, and needs only to be soaked for a while and boiled to get rid of the seawater smell and taste,” she told Bernama when met at the market yesterday.

Another favourite of homesick Sabahans here is the kinilau which is raw fish soaked in vinegar, thinly-sliced mango, onions and chilli, sprinkled with sugar and salt to taste.

Meanwhile, food-seller Najir Mucer, 43, specialises in Sabahan dishes which are based on cassava like the sianglag, bianban, and piutu.

“Bianban is cassava which has been boiled, mashed and wrapped in banana leaf, while the sianglag and piutu is boiled cassava which has been mixed with shredded coconut. Sianglag is sold in the shape of clumps while piutu comes in the form of sausages wrapped in plastic.

For dessert seller Faiza Limpalan, 43, it is her ‘buko salad’ which is most sought-after by her customers.

“It is made up of young coconut which has been shredded, and mixed with canned fruits and cheese. It is best served cold and is a sweet dish,” she said. Bernama