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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
