KUCHING: Sarawak, is known for its many names — the Land of the Hornbill, Borneo’s Rainforest State, Bumi Kenyalang and of course, a food lover’s paradise.
From the spicy, umami-rich Sarawak Laksa to the char siu-topped Sarawak Kolo Mee, Sarawak is renowned for its unique and mouthwatering dishes.
But there’s one delicacy that dares to stand out: the sago worms. These live, squishy worms, creamy in colour and exotic in nature, might seem intimidating at first.
Yet, they’re one of the most famous exotic delicacies in Borneo, mostly found in Mukah. Caroline Jhayssy Manja, the Dayak Cuisine stall owner at the Kuching Food Festival 2024, shared this information.
“These worms can usually be found in Mukah or tropical countries, and the ones we’re selling were brought by bus from Mukah,” she said.
These little high-protein, high-fat squiggly worms have been drawing many locals and tourists to visit the stall because of their uniqueness.
“Many customers come by our stall because they’re amazed and captivated by the worms, especially tourists.
There have also been many bloggers or influencers coming to eat and try these sago worms,” she said.
Caroline explained that the sago worms are also known as ulat mulong or ulat matar in Iban.
“’Mulong’ is the tree where the beetles lay their eggs, and the hatched eggs are called ‘ulat matar’,” she explained.
Additionally, Caroline shared that her favourite way to enjoy these delicacies is when they are stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and green onions.
“I prefer the stir-fried worms because they’re tastier since stir-frying enhances their flavour and makes them a popular choice,” she said.
A local customer at Dayak Cuisine, a 25-year-old student named Nethanel Ng, took up the challenge and ate a live sago worm for the first time at Dayak Cuisine.
“It’s my first time eating a live sago worm, and to my surprise, it was quite nice,” he explained.
However, Nethanel shared that it was tricky at first to detach the head from the body because of its squishy and soft texture.
“Once I bit into it, it stopped moving, but it was quite tough to pull apart the body when I bit down,” he shared.
He described the taste as ‘chewy, milky, and seafood-like’.
“It’s pretty tasty, of course very chewy, tastes a little milky, and like seafood,” he described.
As Nethanel officially ticks off ‘eating a live sago worm’ from his bucket list, he challenges the public to do the same!
“I challenge you to try these live sago worms at Dayak Cuisine, here at the Kuching Food Festival 2024!” he urged.
Returning for its third year, Dayak Cuisine, stall number 186, serves an array of local Iban dishes such as barbeque pork belly, pork intestine, and nasi goreng empasa set, or cassava leaves fried rice set.
“Come visit us at Dayak Cuisine at this year’s Kuching Food Festival, bring your family and friends, and try our very own local Iban cuisines,” she shared.
