IN the last decade or so up till now, I have had no chance to go for my favourite dish – bullfrog roasted in bamboo.
This is due to the total absence of such bull frogs, or ‘pamak’ in Iban, from the market here in Kuching. In the longhouse, there has been no ‘pamak’ caught too, especially during night fishing ventures. I see it relevant to share with readers about my brushes with this tasty dish.
My last encounter with the bull frog was circa 1996 at the then Satok Sunday Market and just a few were purchased by me at RM40 per kilo. I paid nearly RM60 for them and quickly rushed home to cook them in bamboo.
It was such an enjoyable meal for my family and I. It reminded me of years of such a regular dish prepared by my mum way back in the 60s at our home in Saratok. My dad and I would always go for night fishing trips with the ‘pigo’ (special lamp fuelled by kerosene) along the Melupa River.
In December 1990/February 1991, when I was hospitalised in the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) after a crash, I remember asking for the dish, which my wife and family obligingly complied, and brought to the SGH ward twice during the seven weeks I was warded.
They managed to obtain the bullfrogs at the Satok Sunday Market at less than the cost that I purchased six years later. This reminds me: while we were in SMK Julau, Sarikei Division, circa 1989, a parent of one student gave us about 10 bullfrogs packed inside a bamboo trap.
These were later prepared and roasted in bamboo by my two cousins who were residing with us. My daughter, Garcia Ann Kejuang, then aged three (now deceased), and our maid, Nona, really enjoyed the dish.
Earlier in Kuching, during a dinner hosted by a well-known cousin, Datuk Amar Dunstan Endawie Enchana (now deceased), who just came back from New Zealand as Malaysian High Commissioner there, we were served the dish (not of the bullfrog type but smaller) that cost close to RM100.
There were other dishes that charged Endawie more than RM400. The venue was the restaurant on top of the Kuching Swimming Pool in Padungan. It was such a nicely prepared dish, but nothing compared to bullfrog roasted in bamboo.
Anyway, my wife, Datin Amar Piling as well as Datuk Amar equally enjoyed the moment. I remember Endawie recalling his younger days catching ‘pamak’ while night fishing in Upper Melupa as he also came from my dad’s longhouse, Munggu Embawang, in Melupa, Saratok as his (Endawie’s) mum, Rinya Saa, was a native of the longhouse and my dad’s second cousin.
He said all the time, the caught ‘pamak’ were always cooked/roasted in bamboo and he agreed with me that it was one of the tastiest dishes ever.
On the night fishing trips, my dad and I once caught 31 big bullfrogs, including harpooning a mating group of seven in one stroke. Dad harpooned the top six and cut the seventh with a machete.
“This is a record for me – and us – as I never caught so many in one trip, especially the seven mating ones killed in one stroke,” my dad (now deceased) told me on our journey back home.
When we were back at the house, the ‘pamak’ were packed inside three big bamboo containers by my mum to be roasted and later served. Out of so many of our regular night fishing trips, this was the moment when we caught the largest number.
I was aged around 10 then and just accompanied dad carrying a basket on my back containing all the fish, prawns and bullfrogs. Luck was always on our side as we never encountered snakes, but most of the times, we were bitten by red ants while journeying through the land to avoid going through the deep pools.
Most of the time, we usually caught three or four bullfrogs and even twice, we killed the soft-shelled turtle or ‘lelabi’ about the size of a big plate.
We used to catch the big white carps that were yet to become ‘semah’ but only known as ‘tengas’ or smaller and younger ‘semah’ carps. Other fish included white carps ‘ikan tunggal’ (two black stripes), ‘tebalang’, ‘bangah’ and ‘enseluai’, black fish such as ‘keli’ and ‘baung’ catfish. Our other catches included big king prawns ‘udang galah’, smaller prawns as well as crabs.
Some of the bullfrogs were caught by the riverside, namely on land while others were caught at the sandy part of the river, among the boulders.
According to researchers, bullfrog meat contains special minerals and vitamins that keep one’s skin healthy and glowing. There is some truth in it based on my personal observation and experience.
Now, even if I come across bullfrogs in the market, at my present situation, I would think twice before deciding to purchase. If there is any, the price might be triple or more from the RM40 per kilo in 1996.
The dish’s taste and those happy moments looking for ‘pamak’ will last forever. It is enough to satisfy my craving for the dish.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at tawisalok@yahoo.com.
