Page 213 - The Guide To Sarawak

THE GUIDE TO SARAWAK
211
with pork and chestnuts wrapped in pandan leaves). Foochow hawker cuisine
is represented by kam pua (literally ‘dry stir’) noodles in a rich herbal broth, and kompia - a savoury bagel made in an old-fashioned oven-urn.
Of the many home-cooked dishes, the best-known is surely kachang ma chicken
- unique to Sarawak. Commonly prepared for nursing mothers, the chicken is slowly cooked in
a potent, leafy-green mix of Chinese motherwort with aged ginger and rice-wine until its smoked tobacco- like fragrance lingers in the kitchen. Another favourite is tu kah o-chor, slow-stewed pork leg in soy and black vinegar with 5-spice powder.
Yee sang, yushueng or “prosperity toss” is a Chinese raw fish salad with shredded vegetables, sauces and condiments. It is eaten at Chinese New Year, shared by a family or group of friends as a symbol of good luck.
Kacang ma, a uniquely Sarawakian chicken stew with an intense herbal flavour.
Kway teow goreng (fried flat noodles), another popular Chinese-Nyonya dish that is originally from Peninsular Malaysia and has been adapted to local tastes.
Kolo mee. Holding joint first position with Sarawak laksa as the state’s most famous dish, it comprises egg noodles drenched in lard, topped with slices of char siew and minced pork. As always in Sarawak, other communities have adopted the dish and halal versions are widely available.