SARAWAK CUISINE

- umai sarawak -

     Sarawak is a state which rich with its own cultures, traditions and the most important thing is the food itself. Thanks to the numerous cultural influences, the cuisine in Sarawak is both creative and delicious(Dining Out in Sarawak, 2013). Eating is serious business to do there, whether you dine at the nicest restaurants or the most humble street-side stalls. 

    There are various of food in Sarawak which depicts the uniqueness of the cultures and traditions in Head Hunter state . Further more, the various food found symbolises the ethnics they present.There are more or less 27 ethnics can be found in Sarawak, one of the most popular food for Melanau ethnics is umai.

     Umai is a raw fish salad and a traditional working lunch for the Melanau fishermen(Sarawak, 2010). It is prepared raw from freshly caught fish such as tenggiri, mackerel and umpirang. Umai is served with the present of sliced onions, chilli, salt and even lime to make it tasty. To make it complete, normally umai will be accompanied by a bowl of tasted sago pearls.

     It is not hard or complicated to prepare this kind of dish. It is simple dish but it will make those who taste it for the first time longing for it every here and then. First, we have to fillet the fish and cut into smaller slices. After that, add in sliced onion, red chilli, shallot, ginger, bunga kantan as well as lime juice. Then, mix it with salt and sugar and also groundnut. Before you serve it, you may refrigerate it for minimum an hour.

    According to Sarawak Tribune, umai is a big hit at Ramadhan Bazaar (July, 2013). They, umai trader make things easier by using the ready packed ‘fish fillet’ which are available at the shopping malls (Abdullah, 2013). This is because the big number of buyer who visit their stall. The best part of umai which make it is easy to be sold is that umai does not involve cooking.

    Melanau is famous for their delicious food. Kaul is the right time to sample some of the Melanau delicacies(Special Cuisines, 2010). With their ancestors of being fishermen, it comes as no surprise that most of their food involves fish. Umai, spicy raw fish salad marinated in lime is the Melanau signature dish.