Fish sausages - Azmi's Catalogue

Fish sausages

ALIAS MOHAMED

Long, grey and unappetising. They smell fishy too but ALIAS MOHAMED finds plenty to rave about when it comes to keropok lekor

THEY don’t look very appetising. In fact, at a glance, one might feel reluctant to try a bite of what some people call “sausages of the East Coast”.

The dull grey, slimy look can be a turn-off for first-timers, especially foreign visitors.

But to many Malaysians, especially those from the East Coast, keropok lekor is a tasty delicacy that’s full of flavour and prized for its strong ‘fishy’ taste. It’s especially delicious when deep-fried and eaten with a chilli dip.

A war veteran, back home in Kuala Terengganu after serving several years overseas, said: “Once you’ve tried keropok lekor, you’ll never forget it. The taste and smell will always be there in your mind.”

Well, perhaps not everyone is equally passionate about keropok lekor, but it cannot be denied that it’s a favourite snack with many.

One might think that making keropok lekor is very easy. But make no mistake. Even in Terengganu and Kelantan, not many people know how to make good keropok lekor.

“I’ve been cooking keropok lekor since I was a young girl,” said 57-year-old Fatimah Salma Sulung, a keropok lekor seller in Kampung Losong, Kuala Terengganu.

“During that time, a girl must be able to cook and learn to prepare special dishes like keropok lekor before she could get married,” she said.

Losong is well known for delicious keropok lekor. Each long keropok lekor is sold for RM1. The shorter ones are sold at RM1 for a pack of five rolls.

The ingredients are simple — just fish (preferably selayang and tamban), sago, salt and water. Once the fish is cleaned and deboned, it is mixed with sago, salt and water and then put through the grinder.

The mixture is then rolled and boiled for 15 minutes. You can eat it in that form or you can cut them into pieces and deep-fry them.

Besides keropok lekor, you can slice the roll into thin slivers and dry them in the sun to make keropok keping or crackers. Each packet of crackers costs between RM10 and RM15 for 1kg, according to the quality or the types of ingredients used.

To know more about keropok, visit Fatimah’s stall in Kampung Losong, Kuala Terengganu, or call her at 09-6313 884.

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