“Etok” Getting Extinct In Kelantan?

Rantau Panjang, Malaysia - 'Etok' is a type of freshwater shellfish similar to mussels. It is synonymous with the food of people in Kelantan.

This shellfish can be taken as a snack or eaten with rice dishes such as the 'nasi kerabu' (rice with shredded herbs and fish meat) as well as the likes.

However eating etok needs special skills and its shell needs to be priced upon using the cusps of one's teeth.

Eating etok this way gives one a rather 'exquisite' experience as it enables its juicy flavour to be fully savoured and appreciated.

Visitors to any markets in major towns in the state would not miss the etok sellers, elderly women selling this delicacy in big baskets. The amount of etok sold is measured using empty condensed milk cans, either it's half or full contents.

The raw etok is usually sourced from the Kelantan riverbed but now the etok traders find it difficult to obtain this shellfish from this river, prompting some to claim that etok has gone extinct in Kelantan.

These days, many of these etok sellers are not sporting any smiles on their face as this freshwater life is difficult to find in the state.

They claim that etok has gone scarce due development work carried out in the highlands located in the upstream areas of Sungai Kelantan.

This had polluted the river, which is a natural habitat for this shellfish to strive. Now they have to source the etok from outside Kelantan, particularly from rivers in Perak and Terengganu.

Food

For people in Kelantan, it is common for them to have this edible shellfish on their dining table.

Sometimes etok is mixed in 'gulai' (curry) or cooked the 'masak lemak cili api' way. Etok can be eaten with white rice or as a side dish to nasi kerabu. For those who wish to have etok with their rice, some stalls do offer etok to customers at RM1 a packet.

A etok seller from Kampung Kasar Pasir Mas, Zaidi Mamat, 39, said; "Etok is popular in Kelantan, but the supply of raw etok is difficult to get as it is no longer available at the river", he told Bernama here recently.

Zaidi attributed the problem to the pollution caused by the land clearing work at the upstream of Kelantan river.

"The land learing work has aused pollution, killer freshwater life in the river. There are also people who dredge sand from the river for development projets elsewhere.

"Without sand, etok is unable to live and multiply", he said.

Etok trader, Syed Mohd Azman Syed Mohamad, 45, said he had to source this delicacy from people living near Sungai Perak.

Another etok seller, Faridah Mamat, 44, as compared to a decade ago, she is now having problems in aquiring the etok supply. They could not source etok from Sungai Pahang as this shellfish is protected under the Sungai Pahang Enactment.

Faridah and about five to seven other etok sellers would go to Perak once a week to buy this edible shellfish from villagers. Sometimes they dreged the river themsleves to look for etok.

Food of Patin

On the processing of raw etok before being offered to customers, Faridah said the fresh etok is 'grilled' over fire after the shellfish is marinated with herbs and spices.

"The grilling work takes about two hours. The etok must be marinated for two hours before they are placed over the fire", she said.

Faridah also said etok sourced from Sungai Kelantan is more tasty and bigger in size when compared to etok sourced from other places.

Meanwhile the Pahang Fisheries Department Deputy Director Ruzaidi Mamat, when contacted by Bernama, said the public is prohibited to source etok from Sungai Pahang as the shellfish is a food source for the patin (silvercatfish).

He said it is against the sungai Pahang Enactment and offenders are liable to be fined not less than RM100.

Source: http://www.bernama.com
Photo: http://hambamuini.blogspot.com

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