5 Animals That People Eat Alive

Recently we talked about the 5 local traditional food that you should try or dare to try? Today we are pushing that envelope a little further. Our previous article did touch one part on eating live animals / creatures. Let's find out what other animals we human beings consume live around the globe.

Nyale Sea worms

Yeap. There is such things as a Sea worm and there's this annual gathering happening in the island of Lombok where the ancient Sasak tribe that still practices their old custom of collecting these wiggly creatures not for pets but for consumption. Eating it live is highly recommended as this is considered a holy gesture. It is believed that these worms were actually the reincarnation of Princess Mandalika who sacrificed her own life by jumping over a cliff for the sake of her people. The amazing thing is every year, around the time of the full moon in the tenth month of the Sasak calendar, the Nyale worms return to the shores of Kuta, Lombok.

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Sannakji

A dish served in Korea. This dish is quite an internet sensation due to the number of videos showing people eating tentacles that were still moving about curling on the customers chopsticks. The tentacles are usually cut from a live octopus and served immediately to happy diners. It is also common to serve it without the tentacles being chopped off. Seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds, as delicious as it may sound, diners risk the chance of choking to death should the suction cups get stuck in the air passage. Chew thoroughly before you swallow.

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Frog Sashimi 

You read it right. Poor fellow is sliced and diced in front of a paying customer and served almost immediately. The frog is in a way witnessing you eating its body parts as the its head is served on the plate facing the would be customer. The eye lids still moves and the most interesting (or sickening) part is that the expert chefs even manage to serve its heart still beating. Welcome to Japan.

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Yin-Yang Fish

Just like the concept of Yin & Yang, you probably got the idea that there must be one part of the fish that will be different from the other parts. You got that right. In this case dead part and the live part. The 'dead' part of the fish is right after the head. Deep friend and served with a special sauce while the 'alive' part is the head so you can see the fish struggling and gasping to breathe. A cuisine from mainland China.

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Casu Marzu

This one involves cheese. You might wonder what can be so alive when it comes to cheese. Well, not these cheese from Sardinia in Italy that's for sure. Made of sheep's milk, they are fermented like any other cheese. The only difference is that there's this extra step which involves leaving the cheese in the open to allow the eggs of the cheese fly Piophila casei to be laid in the cheese. The eggs hatch and the larvae begin to eat through the cheese. While munching away the cheese, these maggots produce acids which breaks down the cheese fats giving it a soft and interesting texture. They can then be cut into thin strips and spread on moistened Sardinian flatbread. Yummy!

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About The Writer
KAY KASTUM
Born in Sabah with an interest in open water diving, wall climbing,music and video production and a passion for Android custom ROMS on his XT910 Motorola Razr Kay Kastum plans to make the world a better place by empowering people through his work. Whatever that means. You can follow his YouTube channel to see what he is up to during his free time

10 Minutes (or less) Pizza

Here's a healthier and delicious way to enjoy your meal. Make your own pizza! The best part you get to choose any toppings that you want. Try it out today!

How not to get embarrassed during fine dining

We are all accustomed to eating by using the fork and spoon. It's a very common thing to use. In some cultures here in Malaysia, eating with just your hands are common too. The thing is we do not have to worry much about it so much since a basic fork and spoon can pretty much let you eat any meal.

But what if you were to be invited to a formal dinner? What if it's a fine dining affair? As you have probably heard or seen on TV, it's not the basic fork and spoon stunt anymore. Now you are going to have to face an array of cutleries that looks almost the same but with different sizes and arrangements! Not only that, if you happened to have a date with you, you are probably worried that you will make a fool out of yourself not to mention that might be the last time you two will be dating.

Worry not. It is quite simple. Once you understand the basics, you can make everyone think that this is something that you are doing everyday. Talk about scoring points with your date!

Below is a basic table setup. The easiest way to remember is by using this simple rule: always work from the outside in; the cutlery farthest away from your plate is for the first course. Still unsure? No worries. Just wait for a bit and follow your host or hostess.

Other things to take note:

• Always take small portions of food
• When you finish eating, you must place the cutlery over the plate in a parallel way and the knife with the edge inward.
• Make it as silent as possible. It is considered rude to hear you munching away those steak
• Bring the food to your mouth not your mouth to the food
• Stay calm and just enjoy the evening!

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About The Writer
KAY KASTUM
Born in Sabah with an interest in open water diving, wall climbing,music and video production and a passion for Android custom ROMS on his XT910 Motorola Razr Kay Kastum plans to make the world a better place by empowering people through his work. Whatever that means. You can follow his YouTube channel to see what he is up to during his free time

Dare to try these 5 local traditional food?

We live in a multiethnic society in Malaysia. From Perlis to Sabah there are so many type of food that you can try and have yet to discover. When it comes to food, most of us will think of something that looks appetizing, has a nice aroma and also taste good. Food that appears normal. Want to be adventurous? Here are five local traditional food that you should try at least once!

#1 Butod

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First let us visit Sabah the land below the wind. This is not for the faint hearted. Eating food that are still moving and pretty much alive may not be your style but this is a delicacy which is quite popular among the KadazanDusun people of Sabah. It is called 'Butod' and are a type of larva which will grow into a beetle. They usually thrive inside a decomposed Sago tree. You can either fry it or eat it raw. Some say it has this milky character and are bursting with protein goodness. The local markets of Sabah is a good place to start.


#2 Tapai Pulut

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It is basically made out of gluttonous rice and yeast. It is the same basic process of making the tapai for producing local wine like in Sabah or Sarawak. The only difference is instead of leaving it to ferment for months, this one is fermented for around 2 to 3 days. It may taste bitter sweet and may have a hint of sourness. It all depends on the amount of water, the surrounding temperature or the quality of the yeast. It is also an acquired taste. I started knowing tapai as a drink instead of for eating so I find it weird. However this is definitely a must try. It is thought to be originated from Terengganu and Kelantan. You may find this item at our merchant JM bariani House of Puchong. They have it in their outlet.


#3 Pekasam

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In the olden days, before the existence of modern day fridge, the local population usually will consume only fresh food. However some food can be kept longer in storage for later consumption. Meat and poultry are usually smoked and dried.  Fish are usually salted and dried as well. It can be kept for months and are ready to eat anytime although it is not usually eaten straight up since the taste will not be appealing and are very salty. But fry it and squeeze some lime and add some chopped cili padi and eat it with hot steamed rice, you are set to go! You can also stir fry it with vegetables. Some folks will feel hungry just by mentioning the word Pekasam goreng!

 #4 Umai

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The name sure sounds like some Japanese dish. It is actually from land of the Hornbills, Sarawak. I guess it does have some Japanese feel to it since this is another raw preparation. It is a traditional native dish for the Melanau people of Sarawak. Usually the fishermen but now are quite popular among other locals in Sarawak too. The preparation is quite simple but importantly you need fresh fish to do this right. The ingredients are sliced raw fish, mixed with chillies, salt, onion and a healthy squeeze of lemon. Tenggiri fish is the type of fish used.


 #5 Budu

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Heard of Budu? This is not for consumption on its own but is actually a type of sauce. Budu sauce is made out of fermented seafood. Yes. You could pretty much tell what sort of aroma it will produce. But just like the Durian, some may say it smells terrible but for others its one of the heavenly smell one could imagine.Origins are from Kelantan, Terengganu and Southern Thailand. It is used as a flavoring and is normally eaten with fish, rice and raw vegetables




Any other local dish that should have been mentioned here? Tell us what you think!

About The Writer
KAY KASTUM
Born in Sabah with an interest in open water diving, wall climbing,music and video production and a passion for Android custom ROMS on his XT910 Motorola Razr Kay Kastum plans to make the world a better place by empowering people through his work. Whatever that means. You can follow his YouTube channel to see what he is up to during his free time