Belacan a thriving cottage industry

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OTHER than its oil and gas industry, Bintulu is also known for that Malaysian gastronomical delight called belacan. Making belacan here is somewhat of a cottage industry as it is something which the locals do during their spare time.

GOOD BUSINESS: Anthony Upon spreads a freshly made batch of homemade belacan out to dry on mats in his backyard. He learnt how to make belacan from his wife Pauline Michael.

Teachers Anthony Upon and his wife Pauline Michael are two locals who prefer to make their own belacan from fresh shrimp acquired from the local wet market.

Even as the BAT mobile pulled up in front of Anthony and Pauline’s modest double-storey semi-detached house, the team could already smell the pungent salty odour for which belacan is known for.

The smell was originating from a fresh batch of belacan laid to dry on clean mats in their small backyard.

Belacan making process is quite straightforward but requires patience and hard work. Anthony and Pauline start out by mixing about 4 gantang of fresh shrimp with salt. The mixture is left to ferment overnight before it is spread out on mats to dry. This stage may take a few days depending on the weather.

After that, the dried shrimp is pounded until it becomes pulverised, after which it is dried out under the sun again to remove any excess moisture. After the drying process is completed, the belacan can be compressed into blocks or cubes, ready to be used immediately or stored for future use. Anthony said that he and his wife usually make belacan during the shrimp season which runs from now until July or August. Currently, they only make belacan for their own use.

According to Anthony, belacan is priced at RM40 per kilo at local markets.