Tuesday, March 23, 2010

FISH ROES & INNERTS

In the classic Malay film entitled 'Batu Belah batu Bertangkup' a mother plunged herself into the batu belah after her little son consumed all her temakul (mudskipper) roes.

The son, played by the late Bat Latiff, was bent on finishing the roes while the sister pleaded with him to leave some for their mom. She even tried replacing the roes with omelet.

Her brother refused. She had to fulfill her brother's demand and so there was no more temakul roes for mom.

When she came home and found there was no more temakul roes, she began sulking saying that her children did not love her any more.

She ran towards the batu belah. On the way she sang that tear-jerking song: "Batu belah batu bertangkup, makanlah aku telanlah aku, aku kempunan telur temakul..."

I wonder was the temakul roes that good that a loving mother sulked so much that she gave herself to the batu belah batu bertangkup (splitting rock)?

I have never tasted temakul roes before. Have you? I wonder if anyone of you have tasted temakul fish or its roes?

I know that Japanese love temakul fish and its roes. I have seen them fishing temakul using wooden boats on mud flats.

I know other types of roes - mackerel, red snapper, trigger fish, giant herring..

Besides roes, I also love fish innerts - you know the stomach, liver, heart (especially tuna's), gills (only in some fish) and lips!

2 comments:

Martin Lee said...

I used to see a lot of roes for sales in the market when I was kid but nowadays I hardly see any.

Fish roes when fried taste very delicious. My mum did that for me and I ate a lot!

But now that fish roes seems to contain very high uric acid, so it is not a healthy delicacy for our age group.

azahar said...

Take it in moderation and in combination with lots of veges and herbs.