Food

Exploring Orang Asli cooking at Temu House

Traditional Orang Asli food and cooking techniques were on showcase

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 20 Dec 2021 2:00PM

Exploring Orang Asli cooking at Temu House — Orang Asli cooking stands out when compared to Malay, Chinese or Indian cuisines. Much of that is due to the unique ingredients. – Pic courtesy of Native Discovery, December 20, 2021

by Haikal Fernandez

TUCKED away in a residential area of Petaling Jaya, at the venue space Temu House, was a Masterclass aimed at spreading understanding of Orang Asli cooking, as part of the recently concluded Kita Food Festival.

Organised by Native Discovery, an advocacy group aimed at providing opportunities for native peoples to showcase their culture, the event specifically highlighted Temuan cooking, allowing guests to try their hand at using native ingredients to prepare some dishes.

Temu House provided a comfortable and calming setting to explore Orang Asli food. – Haikal Fernandez pic

Guests were then able to sit down and enjoy the food, as well as learn from the Orang Asli cooks about the cuisine, specifically some of the unique ingredients that set it apart from Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines. A big part of it is using the most of what is available, harnessing what nature provides.

A selection of unique ingredients that gives Orang Asli food (from the Temuan tribe) its character. They include Pucuk getah (rubber shoots), biji getah (rubber nuts), cekur (wild ginger), bunga kantan, breadfruit. – Haikal Fernandez pic

Pucuk getah (rubber shoots) and biji getah (rubber nuts) are staple ingredients used in everyday Temuan cooking where the leaves are boiled and the nuts are pounded to add into the dishes. The rubber leaves need to be washed a certain way with coarse salt and the poisonous cyanide is squeezed out.

Orang Asli cooks demonstrate stripping rubber leaves from the shoots and how to clean them of any poisonous liquids they may contain. – Haikal Fernandez pic

The amount of poison is not fatal but can cause some nausea if consumed without proper cleaning. This reflects the Orang Asli understanding and respect of the natural world.

Some of the preparation and cooking that goes behind making Orang Asli food. In the bottom right, guests try their hands at making a type of kuih lopis. – Pics courtesy of Native Discovery

In addition to trying out food preparation, guests also tried their hand at making Beruang Hill kuih lopis. The Orang Asli cooks also showed off their ingenuity by adapting to whatever equipment is available.

The appetiser on offer; crispy fried sukun, wild daun sirih tempura, with dark bamboo starfruit sambal. The fried leaves provide more crunch and flavour than you would expect. The sambal itself was a unique combination of sweet and spicy that if bottled, would sell really well. – Pic courtesy of Native Discovery

(Clockwise from above left) Sambal tempoyak with terung pipit and fried anchovies, bamboo braised chicken with pucuk ubi and cekur, barbequed tempoyak chicken wings, and 30-hour cured perkasam talapia. – Haikal Fernandez pic

Of the dishes served during the lunch portion of the event, the 30-Hour Cured Perkasam Talapia was a crowd favourite as the crunch of the crust and the saltiness of the fish provided a textural variety to each bite. Normally cured for 100 hours, this batch was only cured for a fraction of the time so it wouldn’t be too intense for newcomers to the cuisine.

The use of tempoyak, or fermented durian, was especially interesting because it is not a staple addition to most people’s diet and is an acquired taste for many. Earlier, guests were given a batch to smell and it was quite pungent. But used as a marinade for chicken, or in sambal, the taste is milder and sweeter.

The staff of Native Discovery and Orang Asli cooks bid a fond farewell after a satisfying meal. – Pic courtesy of Native Discovery

In the end, the event showed that Orang Asli cooking is a unique cuisine that more Malaysians should experience. The ability to make the most of what’s available in the wild is something to be commended.

As modernity rears its head, there are just some ingredients that cannot be found elsewhere that give this cuisine its unique character. – The Vibes, December 20, 2021