Pais, suman lemantak savoury afternoon treats loved by many
Pais and suman lemantak, paired with hot tea or coffee, are popular afternoon snacks among Sarawakians, especially the Malays and Melanau.
Pais and suman lemantak are grilled seafood (fish, squid, and prawns) wrapped in nipah leaves, locally known as apong leaves.
According to the owner of Pais Mak Dara Kampung Buntal, Nur Hedayah Fani, pais is seafood marinated in spices and suman lemantak is mixed with grated coconut and lemantak (sago flour).
“We offer more than 10 types of pais and suman lemantak made using my mother’s recipe with fresh ingredients purchased from Kampung Buntal Market.
“The preparation takes time because the dish needs to be wrapped one by one… it begins at midnight up until 3am marinating and sautéing, and continues at 9am to be grilled before we sell it so the food stays fresh,” she told Bernama
recently.
The 27-year-old Kampung Buntal native said she started to help her mother sell pais and suman lemantak when she was six, assisting her on weekends from 10am until 6pm.
Located nearly 30km from Kuching, Kampung Buntal is a well-known fishing village with abundant fresh seafood supplies. It is said that pais and suman lemantak were fishermen’s main staples before they went to sea.
Pais Mak Dara Kampung Buntal has amassed a large customer base over five decades, enabling it to sell over 600 pieces daily.
“Among the best-selling items are prawn suman lemantak, mackerel and hati parek pais… we also have grilled fish roe,” she said.
In 2017, the mother of two expanded her business by selling these snacks at food festivals and Ramadan bazaars in Kuching due to high demand from customers in other areas.
Checks at Ramadan bazaars around Kuching found that the pais and suman lemantak dish, sold between RM3 and RM4 per piece, are among the most sought-after sungkei (breaking of fast) food.
Nur Hedayah said sales could hit 1,000 pieces daily during Ramadan, especially if there are major events.
Operating the business with her husband Elwan Syawal, 31, Nur Hedayah plans to produce frozen pais and suman lemantak and market them to Peninsular Malaysia.