‘Lelamas’: Exotic delicacy offered at Kanowit tamu
KANOWIT: Take a stroll around the new ‘tamu’ (farmers and jungle produce market) at Kanowit Riverfront around this time of the year, and one can see a few hawkers selling the ‘lelamas’ – the pupae of the local hawk moth.
According to Connie Unjong, this grub is considered a delicacy to some people in certain parts of the district, and is only available at certain seasons.
“It feeds on durian leaves. Upon reaching a certain growth stage, it falls and conceals itself in the ground.
“However, it does not take hard digging to find the ‘lelamas’,” the 49-year-old trader told The Borneo Post when met at the ‘tamu’ recently, adding that she obtained her supply from the local durian farmers.
Sold in small baskets, each measuring about 10cm in diameter, the pupae go for RM10 per batch.
Asked if she herself ate ‘lelamas’, Connie simply replied: “I prefer them deep-fried; the taste is almost similar to (deep-fried) cicadas and grasshoppers.”
When contacted, Sarawak Agriculture Department senior officer Megir Gumbek described hawk moth as ‘a pest’ in her research paper ‘Hawk Moth Infestation on Durians’, published in 2011.
According to her, the moth lays its eggs on the underside of the durian leaves.
“After hatching, the larvae would feed on the durian leaves. Upon reaching the pupa state, they would fall and bury themselves into the soil. As each larva hits the ground, a clicking sound is produced.
“Each pupa measures around 4cm in length, reddish in colour,
and has a shiny appearance.
“River fishermen also collect the pupae to be used as bait. This is actually encouraged as it helps reduce the population of this pest,” said Megir.