Laksam, or flat rice noodles in fish gravy originating from Kelantan and Terengganu, has won the hearts of Sabahans, who share an appreciation of this traditional dish.
While driving along a road here some three years ago, the writer was drawn to a sign that read ‘Laksam’ at a roadside stall. Since then, he has become a regular customer of the stall owned by Anuar Awang, who sells various delicacies from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
The 50-year-old Kelantanese, fondly called Abe Nuar, also makes nasi kerabu, nasi berlauk and kuih akok, using ingredients he brought from his state of origin.
“The people in Sabah are drawn to this cuisine because it is unique and rarely available here. In addition to selling food, I am also proud to introduce the traditional food of my home state,” he told Bernama.
The dishes are priced between RM6 and RM8 per pack, and he could sell up to 30 packs per day.
Apart from Kelantan food, he also sells ‘jeruk bambangan’, a traditional food of the Sabah community prepared by his Kadazandusun wife.
One of his regular customers Jumadi Sakkul, 44, an information officer from Sepanggar said he has fallen in love with the cuisine of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia since he tasted it for the first time while working in Kuantan, Pahang about 10 years ago.
“The taste of their cuisine is indeed different from Sabah. Back when I was working in Pahang, I would often eat dishes like nasi dagang, nasi kerabu and laksam. However, when I returned to Sabah, I started missing them and tried looking for them. That’s when I found Abe Nuar,” said Jumadi, who returned to Sabah two years ago.
He said that the unique ingredients brought by Anuar from Kelantan give the dishes a distinct flavour that is hard to find in Sabah, allowing the people of the Land Below the Wind to experience the unique taste of Peninsular Malaysian cuisine.
Deiryll Everly Josan, 39, an administrative officer at a public university in Tuaran, said that the people of Sabah have no problem embracing the cuisine from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia because they have long been open to diversity and external cultures.
“Sabah has 33 indigenous groups, so there are many types of food in this state. Food is not limited to one ethnic group but is enjoyed by all, just like ‘hinava’ (a type of fish salad) from the Kadazandusun community, everyone eats it. The same goes for laksam and nasi kerabu, even though they originate from Peninsular Malaysia, we also enjoy them,” she said.
Deiryll Everly added that the famous chef, the late Anthony Bourdain, once said, “Food is Everything We Are”, which means that food reflects the diversity of a nation. Therefore, all types of food in this country reflect the beautiful diversity of Malaysia and its people, which should be appreciated and loved by all.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency