We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in any one place in Sarawak but even for overnight stays in a town or city I always like to check out the main open market. It’s interesting to me to see what the locals are eating because it can be difficult to find these foods in restaurants where tourists typically end up. There are frequently regional specialties that change from town to town. In Sarawak I found the markets to be pretty impressive. They are huge, and very well stocked with a bewildering variety.
I have no idea what these things are called so I just think of them as dinosaur eggs. They’re delicious. I’ve been fantasizing about making salsa with them.
Some live chickens for sale. Only one of the many live animals for sale at the markets. It can be a little depressing at times but we try not to judge. Fern suggested that we buy the baby sea turtles we saw for sale and set them free. The older big one would have been far too expensive I’m sure. Almost makes me want to cry, but this how much of the world is.
While walking the streets of Kuching I encountered some indigenous ladies selling these jungle ferns, or midin. Since we were staying at a place with a kitchen I figured I’d try cooking some up.
I’ve always been curious about the fiddleheads in the US but they tend to be pretty expensive in stores and I don’t know enough about them to figure out which kinds of wild ones are edible. I didn’t have a lot of ingredients at my disposal so just I fried them up in a wok with a little soy sauce and vinegar. Simple. Delicious! They have a wonderful texture and a nice fresh flavor.
I hope to have many more opportunities to try my hand at cooking with the local produce.
jim@snorkelbandits.com