Preserved fish a favourite Ramadan dish in Kelantan

KOTA BARU: It has been a good season for trader Nor Azreena Mohd Nor, as demand for preserved and dried fish, a popular delicacy among the Kelantanese, has been increasing this Ramadan.

Nor Azreena, 37, has been in the business since the movement control order was imposed last year.

She started off with about 50kg of fish in the first few months but as demand kept increasing, her stock has risen to 150kg since the start of Ramadan. The idea of selling preserved fish came about after she thought of ways to increase her family’s income during the pandemic, she said.

“It’s really surprising as I didn’t expect the response to be so good.

“During Ramadan, preserved fish makes a great appetiser for breaking fast. It’s also ideal for the pre-dawn meal because it can be very tasty cooked with just onion and chillies, with a little fresh lime juice,” she said when met at her stall in Kampung Berangan in Jalan Kota Bharu-Ketereh here.

Nor Azreena now operates two branches in Kadok and Tanah Merah, assisted by seven workers who clean and prepare the fish to be soaked in brine overnight.

“The next day, the brine is removed and the fish is soaked in water for four hours to remove the salt. They are then dried for three to five hours, depending on the weather.

“Once dried, the fish is refrigerated so that it can last up to three weeks,” said the International Islamic University graduate in business management.

“To make preserved fish, gelama bongkok, gelama gigi, cencaru, layur, talang, selar kuning and butir nako fish are commonly used.

“For making dried fish, I often choose tambang, pari, pelata and bulu ayam varieties,” she said, adding that prices range from RM18 to RM45 per kg.

Despite requests for the fish to be marketed overseas such in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, Nor Azreena said she had to put such plans on hold due to constraints such as shipping costs, packaging and maintaining freshness during transport.

“To meet demand outside Kelantan, I have 20 to 30 agents nationwide,” said the mother of seven, who gets support and help from her civil servant husband Muhammad Ai’Amin Mohamad Kasim, 37.

Customer Tuan Jusoh Tuan Dollah, 50, from Pasir Puteh, said he had been buying the fish to break fast as he loves the taste and texture, which go well with steaming hot rice.

“Preserved fish has always been a traditional food and usually, during the fasting month, people need something to whet their appetite, especially after waking up for the sahur meal,” he said. — Bernama