JJCM in KT #12 - In The Market - Part II

In spite of this being the second day of Hari Raya, some stalls were still opened for business. When I asked one of the proprietor why he did not rest, he gave me a very good answer – “if all the stalls were to close, where would the outstation travelers buy their goods?” Many visitors came here to buy the local delicacies to take back for their friends and families. It is a ritual that almost all visitors to the East Coast will do. He said he can rest when the other stall owners come back. There proved that myth wrong again.

The most popular take-away are products of the sea – dried squid, dried fish snacks, salted fish, keropok kering, anchovies, dried prawns etc that came in all shapes, sizes, colors, flavors, and varieties.

This is preserved fish in brine packed in plastic containers. There are concerns about whether this food is healthy. The colored discs at the back are crackers that need frying before they can be consumed.

These are biscuits made from sago starches. Sago starch is produced from the pith from inside the Sago Palm. The sago biscuits have a very ‘short’ texture and breaks and sort of melt in your mouth. It is quite sweet and have the strong flagrance of ‘santan’ (coconut milk).

These are ‘dodol’, a popular Malaysian delicacy that is a sweet, thick and sticky glob that is made from palm sugar, coconut milk, rice flour and flavored with pandan. The packing here is more unusual as they are individually packed in palm leaves.

Most of the stalls in the wet market sections are closed. This one which stayed opened did a roaring business as there was little competition. Wonder if the price is increased because of the extra service? I was sad when I passed one stall that openly sells sea turtle eggs. Until today, the authority has not been able to educate the consumers/traders or to eradicate this practice. It is not that the eggs can fetch high prices. The kick-back from tourism would have been much higher. I felt that the government ought to do more to stop this though it is probably too late by now with much of the turtle population decimated.

The market is built on the bank of a river. There are village along the whole stretches of the river. Traveling through and fro both banks are faster by river ferry.

A river ferry slowing down to dock at the ferry terminal.

But no, it is easier to just dock by the river bank.

We have now bought enough souvenirs for our friends back home. With that errant done, we are now ready to depart Kuala Terengganu for home. But our adventure did not end here. Follow us as we take you to three beaches and two new foods on our return journey.