Just came back from a ravishing dinner meal.sometimes i have this sudden craving for that sumptuous melanau staple dish,the LINUT(or sago "porridge" for the unawares of the term linut)
see pic... This peculiar habit of eating linut with sambal belacan is a unique Malay ritual of eating this delicious dish. I was told by my late grandmother before that 'musim jepun"(during Japanese occupation) when rice was a scarcity,most Kunchingites or Sarawakians for that matter resorted to have staple dish of linut or potatoes. Well it was my dear old grandmother who first introduced me to this dish and ever since it has always been a craving for me and whenever i had an urge to indulge myself in this palate i must find all ways and means to achieve that or else "kempunan",this is another superstituous Malay belief for this dish."Kempunan" means disaster or bad tidings may befall oneself if such craving is not satisfied or honoured. Well there is only one place that i frequented here in kuching for the Linut dish,at the Masja restaurant!!! Wonder the linut(or gum) will get stuck in your intestines(ha..).Other favourite jaunts in Kuching for me if ican list them include Secret Recipe(boring boring) but honestly this place offer you the best fish and chips and americano coffee(better than starbucks mark my word i am a coffee man). The fish is deliciously fresh.Another favourite dish of mine is the "hepia" or fried prawns fritters, fried tauhu, keribang and other fried (all fried lah) delicacies with chilli paste.The best place to have this?Rex Cucur at Rubber Road definitely a worthwhile place to have your hepia and as a side dish,the mee jawa is not too bad either.The mee siam at the kopi kluang station cafe at the springs not too bad either. Back to the evergreen linut i remembered once when i was a university student in Birmingham i managed to get my mum to send a packet of the sago flour(to make the linut porridge) and when myself and another Sarawakian friend was having our mouths full of this sticky paste,a bewildered housemate(orang Malaya,who else can be that ignorant on linut!!) couldnt believe his eyes and just stood there and stammered uttering the following words(after 20 years i can still vividly remember)..." apa yang hang makan tu?Gum ke?you berdua gila ke?" haha in loose translation what he muttered was "what are you both eating? is it gum? you both crazy?"
ha ha give me a dish of linut anytime man or else bad tidings will befall!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment