kampungku, kuala ibai: Candat Sotong

kampungku, kuala ibai

kampungku, kuala ibai: Candat Sotong

kampungku, kuala ibai: Candat Sotong

Candat Sotong - Part 2

our pride...ketupat sotong, you'll never forget about its taste...forever

Perfect Location For Candat Sotong?

Some people have to locate a good area for candat, some just do not bother about location. But Abu is very particular about this. He needs a perfect location for anchoring and at the same time it is perfect for candat too.

His thinking is quite reasonable because he does not want to start the engine and move the boat and re-anchor again at somewhere else. This is wasting time. What he did is just torching the light into the water and concentrate with what he saw down there. Then, based on experience he will decide whether to stay or find some other places.

Thumb up!

the mata candat or the hooks

That means we have got a perfect location for candat. Now, throw your mata candat into the water. Let the string loose until you feel that the mata candat has reached the sea bed.

Then pull it up slowly about 3 to 5m and start making your own rhythm of movement up and down. Soon you will feel something has disturbed your rhythmic dance. Something strong, fighting to free itself from your mata candat. Now, pull up your string rampantly. Just pull it up even though you see something like a transparent alien is surfacing. 

If you stop pulling it at the moment it reaches the surface, then you will be squirted with black fluid direct to your face or you body...Trust me, you don't have time to avoid the attack. Never mind then, because it does not hurt you. You may pull up the transparent creature and unhook it from the mata candat. Take a photograph of it. Then, take another photograph of it when it becomes no longer transparent.....meaning that, it is dead already.
  

 

Repeat the procedures for many times as you wish until you are satisfied with the numbers and the sizes of squids you have caught.

fried squids with ginger

Looks like Abu has small kitchen inside his boat. So, we will have our fresh cooked cuttlefish/squid right hereon the boat for our meal. I tell you...the taste of fresh squids were really good.

What a night to be remembered then!

kampungku, kuala ibai: Candat Sotong

kampungku, kuala ibai: Candat Sotong

Candat Sotong

Candat Sotong-Fishing Squid - Part 1

Have you ever gone for fishing or catching squid by hand?

transparent squid

Well, as promised, tonight we are going to the sea for candat squid. Tonight it is perfect for candat because no moonlight in early night.

Do you know that squids are very much attracted to the lights? Do not candat squid under the full moonlight. You will hardly get a single of it.

dead captured squid

 So, we are going to the sea with my friend, Abu who owns a speed boat as our transport. Abu has installed a small movable generator powered by diesel on his boat, enough to light up 2 units of lamps to attract squid. Just check our list of things to be carried along...because we must be equipped with the following items:

a) a powerful torchlight,

b) the mata candat/candat twist some kind of artificial baits which look like a small squid but have many sharp hooks fixed around it and tied  together with long fishing string up to 50m or more. In the water, the hooks will appear like the tentacles of the cuttlefish when moved  up and down repeatedly.

mata candat

c) the baits, which can be made from some fresh meat of fishes of any kind. I choose the cheapest of them because squids do not choose the brand of the flesh. In some cases, baits are not required.

d) your own stuffs, foods, snacks, drinks and cigars, if you are smoking ( but I don't encourage smokers to join me because normally they can't last long after we have anchored the boat....they will easily get dizzy and

then vomit....)

For a starter, those things itemized hereof would be sufficed for candat sotong.

OK, let's start our adventure now. The tide is reasonably high, which means that Abu's speedboat may get out the Ibai River's estuary easily and safely. We are going out to the open sea for about 3km from the shore and try to anchor there. Remember, that the boat will move by itself in accordance with the sea waves, the moment we have anchored. Some people couldn't stand with this situation and can easily vomit. 

When you start vomit, you just can't stop it anymore...and it is very very painful. You can't do anything except vomit until you have nothing to vomit....You will become very tired, weak and soft....just like your  towel. Your first candat session will become a nightmare, and trust me....it will be your first and the last forever.  To avoid this from happening, you may take traveling pills about 1/2 hour before we depart. The pills might help you from vomiting.

If you are not vomiting, then the night will be the most beautiful and unforgettable adventure for you. The boat has anchored. Abu has started the small generator and the he turns on the lights for the lamps. Soon the lights will attract the cuttlefishes from the distance to gather underneath the boat. Just wait for 1/2 hour and get ready with your mata candat. Fix it with some fish meat as the bait. Be careful, the hook is quite sharp, don't hook your fingers and hurt them. But there are cases where people still vomit even after they took traveling pills.

Be patient now....just wait for the moment until Abu gives to us his signal to throw our mata candat....He just want to ensure that the place is suitable for candat.

In the meantime take a look around you...See, you are not the only one having activities of candat sotong tonight. There are plenty of fisherman doing the same thing like you. There will be a lot more people coming tonight. Sometimes hundreds of boats are available when they are having some sort of championship for candat sotong normally organized by the state's authority or the Tourism Board of Malaysia. You may join them next year if you come again. They will count and accept the longest and biggest squid for the cham.

To be continued.....

kampungku, kuala ibai: KAMPUNGKU, KUALA IBAI.

kampungku, kuala ibai: KAMPUNGKU, KUALA IBAI.

kampungku, kuala ibai: What Can Kuala Ibai Offer To You?

kampungku, kuala ibai: What Can Kuala Ibai Offer To You?

kampungku, kuala ibai: Keropok/Fish Cracker Kuala Ibai

kampungku, kuala ibai: Keropok/Fish Cracker Kuala Ibai

kampungku, kuala ibai: Sago At Kuala Ibai?

kampungku, kuala ibai: Sago At Kuala Ibai?

kampungku, kuala ibai: Beach and Sand of Kuala Ibai

kampungku, kuala ibai: Beach and Sand of Kuala Ibai

Beach and Sand of Kuala Ibai

The Estuary of Ibai River and the Beach

If you have decided to stay at TER, then it is a perfect place for you to go to the beach. Just few minutes walking from TER you will step on the white sandy silicon rich beach facing the open sea of the South China Sea. Now you can run with the wind along the beach or just have your sun bath there. But don't go there when the sun is right on your head because you might have sun burn then. It is really hot...not warm if I can tell you.

You can have a walk around the beach of the river near the estuary. Watch local fisherman catch crab or fishing from the river bank or just sit down on the sand and watch some youngsters canoeing in the river. But you are not allowed to swim when the tide is high. Many visitors from the surrounding area have been found dead because of strong under sea current during the high tide. Always refer to TER's management if you want to swim or have activities in sea. Being an open sea, it is unpredictable and may become treacherous at any time subject to strong wind from the sea. If you are not a good swimmer, please don't swim in open sea then.

Actually, Kuala Ibai has plenty of apartments, guests houses, home stays and houses for rent in addition to TER. All are charging reasonable rates for you and your family. So, even though you are not staying at TER, you still can have your morning or evening activities on the beach if you are staying at any of those places indicated above. You may have to put away your own schedule trip, the moment you  arrived here. It is because you have plenty of choices when you have settled down here. You are in the middle of many places of interest. I am not talking about the good places that Kuala Ibai have by itself here, but about some other places of interest located nearby of Kuala Ibai which are also worthwhile to be visited.  

Having enjoyed what Kuala Ibai have, you may decide either to drive to the north or to the south along the trunk road. If you go to the north, you can stop at Batu Buruk Recreational Park. You may have your meal here too, but the price is a bit expensive if compared with Kuala Ibai. This place also have beautiful sandy white beach, but a bit crowded at weekend. You may have some fast food here such as burgers, hot dogs and drinks from KFC or A&W.

Again, like the beach at Kuala Ibai you maybe strictly prohibited from swimming in sea here because of unpredictable weather and wind which may create strong wave and under water current. Never mind, if you really want to swim, Batu Buruk has a public swimming pool for sport and recreation. This Olympic size of swimming pool is equipped with 50m length and 8 lanes of swimming track plus 10m high diving board as well as spring board. They even have provided pools for kids which is isolated from the pool for adults before you can reach the main pool. You have to pay some charges if you want to swim here.

Now, let's go back to your place at Kuala Ibai. We go to the south, to a place call Chendering. Remember the Kuala Ibai River bank in opposite of Ibai Recreational Park you went yesterday? Well, the opposite site of the river is called Chendering. Park your car nearest to the beach there. Walk on the beach heading to the estuary of the river. You will surprise yourself to see the sand that you are walking yesterday is right in front of you, separated with just about 100m of estuary waters. The sand that you are standing now is a similar type of the one that you have stood on yesterday on the other side of the river. And, you can have a rest here on the white sandy beach with your own freedom.

Sago At Kuala Ibai?

How to get sago starch/flour in Kuala Ibai?

First is to find and identify the sago palm. You may find the trees not so far away from TER.

Now, we have to ask whether the owner would allow us to watch how he get the sago from the tree.

If we are lucky, we will have an opportunity to watch the owner do the process alone. He will choose and fell the sago palm just before flowering because the stems are richest in starch at that time.

Then, he will split the trunk lengthwise. The pith is removed and placed on the canvas. He will crush the pith and kneads it to release the starch.

Then he will bring the pith to a special place where the pith is washed and strained to extract the starch from the pith or the fibrous residue.

Finally, the raw starch suspension can be collected in a settling container at the end of the process. He will dry it under the heat of the sun before packaging the same. Now you can make your keropok ikan or fish craker with brand new hand made sago starch.

Amazingly, just one person did the whole process starting from felling the sago palm, split the trunk lengthwise, remove the pith and crush and knead it, wash the pith and strain it, and finally get the starch in the settling container. He did it alone.

That's the art of Kuala Ibai....kampung ku.

Keropok/Fish Cracker Kuala Ibai

KEROPOK- How it is made?

Having eaten kropok? How does it taste?

Do you know how it is made?

Why not have your own made keropok?

First, get the ingredients: (i) 1 kg of fresh sea fishes such as Mackerel/Sardines;

ikan selayang or sardines, suitable to make keropok lekor

 (ii) 1/2 kg of sago powder/starch;

 (iii) salt and sugar; and (iv) Chilly sauce or Thai Chilly Sauce if you prefer hot sauce.

Secondly, wash fish and remove flesh from fish bone,  but do not blend the meat/flesh. Remember that the traditional way is to crash the fish with locally made equipment called "lesung batu" or "lesung kayu" or mortals perhaps I can describe.

a wooden mortal

The idea is to crash the fish flesh without adding water, not like the one using blender as it reduces the original taste of the fish.

Thirdly, add 1/4 of sago into the crashed meat. Crash them together using the lesung batu or hand mortal. Add some sugar or salt accordingly. You can taste the stuff to ensure it suits yours. Squeeze and roll the blend to ensure all ingredients mix together and create its pastry in a cylinder type looks for 1 feet long each and about 1 inch thick. You may have up to four or five rolls, depending on the length and the thickness of each roll.

Fourthly, boil about 5 liters of plain water. When the water is boiled, put each and every rolls into the pot for at least 1/2 hour. Move each of the rolls to ensure all of them are really cooked.

Fifthly, take out all rolls, let them little bit cooler. You may eat the rolls now. This stuff is called "keropok lekor" now. Cut some small portion of the roll, deep it into the chilly sauce and have your own made keropok lekor. 

You may fry the roll and this stuff will be called "keropok lekor goreng" or fried keropok lekor.

Sixthly, you may have the boiled rolls ready for slicing. Slice it into thin pieces or layers for all rolls. You may have plenty of pieces which locally known as "keropok keping" or pieces of keropok.

Next, dry it under direct sun light for couple of days until it is hard and dry. Now you have a small stock of keropok keping ready to be fried to become a fish cracker.

Now, you can pack and bring it to anywhere. Just fry the stuff and you may serve you guests with fish crackers of your own brand.

Remember, the percentage of sago and fish flesh are very important. Less sago more fish will make the taste of the roll a bit fishy and to me, it is good. However, this mixture is not good to be a keropok keping because it is not expanding much after being fried. Less fish more sago will make the keropok keping expanding or size up to double of its original size. But the taste is not as good as the one with more fish. So, may be you know now, why some fish crackers are tasted differently. For business purposes, they have to reduce fish in the mix to cut cost because sago is very much cheaper than fish.

Having learned how to create keropok, you may try it with your own paste now. It is cheap and worthwhile to try at home.

What Can Kuala Ibai Offer To You?

Places Of Interest

Remember the first traffic light after the Bridge of Sungai Ibai?

From there, turn right and you will find a beautiful Moorish style Mosque painted in white. This mosque is well known as "Masjid Terapung" or Floating Mosque....a picturesque and attracted building, worthwhile to be visited if you are a Muslim. But non-Muslims are also welcomed to visit this Mosque.

Next, drive further up to the Recreational Park beside the River of Ibai. Park your car at the free parking lots area, get out of the car and have fresh air from the South China Sea. You may come here the next day for jogging or walking around the park. But don't go there on Fridays or Saturdays if you want privacy.

Now you can check in into the 3 stars resorts just beside the exit of the Park. The place is known as Terengganu Equestrian Resorts (TER). This Resorts has indoor and outdoor games or sports facilities. You may choose to play bowling, snooker, table tennis, badminton, or have something more tough and challenging such as canoeing, football or perhaps jet skiing in Ibai Lagoon.

If the food offered by TER does not serve your taste, try to go back to the first traffic light that I have told you before. Not far from the traffic light, you will see restaurants and food stalls lining up beside the trunk road.  You will have plenty of choices to choose the food for your meals or lunch or dinner. Try to taste local favorites such as "nasi dagang", "nasi kerabu", "nasi minyak", "nasi kuning", "pulut kuning" or satay. You might be happy with any of those stuffs.

What else?

Are you a golfer?

If you are a golfer, go to the first traffic light, and from TER drive straight for about 3/4 km. You will see a sign board directing you to the 18 holes golf course known as Ibai Golf Course and Resort. Though not internationally well known, the Course is one of the best in the State of Terengganu.

Now, we can sneak into the village. Let us see how the "keropok ikan" or fish cracker is made here. Try to create your own keropok with the help of the villagers. You find it very interesting.

Within walking distance from TER and the traffic light, you may visit a traditional batik printing or chanting. Watch how an artist draws and designs the batik on live action....I will teach you how to produce a batik ware in next posting.

You will also have an opportunity to see how our traditional "songket" is made. Watch their skills and perhaps give your touch to that skills too.

Amazing isn't it....for a small sub-district like my kampung, Kuala Ibai. You can't finish the visit by one day...

Welcome to Kuala Ibai.

KAMPUNGKU, KUALA IBAI.

Want to know about kampung ku?

Haven't heard about Kuala Ibai? Yea...never heard about it. Fine..., let me tell you about it.

Kuala Ibai is one of "mukim" or sub-district located in the District of Kuala Terengganu, in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia and populated with approximately 98% Malays.

If you are driving via trunk road along the coast from Kuantan, Pahang you will meet Kemaman, then Dungun, then Marang and the Bridge of Sungai Ibai, Kuala Terengganu. You might have to stop at a traffic light before continue your trip. This traffic light is on the side of Mukim Chendering, the southern neighbor of Mukim Kuala Ibai. Upon your exit from the bridge, you may find yourself at my kampung already. You will see a traffic light in front of you.

Now, ask yourself again, refer to your checklist, where is your destination. My reason is because the traffic light will decide your destination to some places of interest around this place. Remember, this is the first traffic light you've met upon your exit from the bridge.

If you turn to the right, you may spot the beautiful Tengku Tengah Zaharah's Mosque or well known as "Masjid Terapung" or Floating Mosque painted with white and Moorish design.

Just a little bit further you will have a junction. If you choose straight, you may have to stop or park your car for few minutes just to enjoy the Mosque's Recreational Park beside the river of Kuala Ibai.

After exit from this park, do not forget to turn right for a refreshment at the Trengganu Equestrian Resorts, a cheap resorts for you to stay after a long journey of the day. This resorts offer variety of in house activities and games to its guests and visitors such as bowling, badminton, squash, tennis and much much more. You may click their website at www.Terengganuequestrianresorts.com for further details about the resorts.

Now, let us go back to the traffic light which leaded you to the right. Drive straight for 1/2 km then you will find another place of interest. The beautiful 18 holes Ibai Golf Course is in front of you. If you are a golfer, try to visit the Clubhouse and get some information about the Course.

You may have opportunity to visit our traditional handcrafts producers such as batik and "songket" within walking distance from that traffic light, or just stop at nearby restaurants or food stalls for meals.

Welcome to my kampung.

WHAT IS KUALA IBAI?

How To Be Here At Kuala Ibai?

Kuala Ibai  is one of the "Mukim" or sub-district of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. By trunk road it is located in between Mukim of Batu Buruk in the north and Mukim of Chendering in the south.

If you are traveling by a car from Kuantan, you must take trunk road alongside of the coastal line. As soon as you reach the District of Marang, you are not so far away from Kuala Ibai. Just continue driving until you arrive at the traffic lights before the Jambatan Sungai Ibai or the Bridge of Sungai Ibai. After you exit the Bridge, you may consider yourself at Kuala Ibai already. 

Be careful because there is another traffic light ahead. You must remember this traffic light as the first traffic light after the Bridge. This traffic light is very important and significant to decide your next trip.

If you choose to go straight, you will miss few places of interest here and you will exit my village just like that.

Turn right if you want to visit "Masjid Terapung" or the Floating Mosque and its Recreational Park, the Terengganu Equestrian Resorts and Ibai Lagoon.

Turn left if you want to visit the 18 holes Ibai Golf Resorts and its Clubhouse.....or a shopping complex called Mydin.

So many stalls and restaurants alongside the first traffic light. You may try local foods such as nasi dagang, laksa, laksam, nasi kukus and much much more.

For accommodation, you may try the cheap 3 stars hotel at Terengganu Equestrian Resorts or expensive 5 stars hotel at Ibai Golf Resorts.