SANDAKAN'S UNIQUE 'KEROPOK UDANG' ON BRINK OF DISAPPEARING

The scent of fresh prawns and the salty tang of seawater greet visitors as they step into Kampung Pukat, a traditional fishing village located just two kilometres from Sandakan town centre.

Here, for generations, prawn crackers have been produced using traditional methods. Today, it is the economic lifeline of some of the villagers.  

Populated mainly by the Tanka community, Kampung Pukat is one of the oldest Chinese settlements in Sandakan, renowned for its seafood and derivative products such as prawn crackers, locally known as ‘keropok udang’.

However, this ‘signature’ snack, which has become the identity of Kampung Pukat, may soon disappear as few younger villagers show interest in continuing the tradition of making the crackers. The existing producers, meanwhile, are mostly elderly but are still working tirelessly to earn a living and preserve their heritage.

MOTHER’S LEGACY

‘Keropok udang’ is a staple during the Chinese New Year celebrations here and a popular festive gift. Each year as the season approaches, 59-year-old Leong Chin Fai finds himself racing against time to meet the surge in demand.

In 2020, he took over the family business from his mother, who was one of the pioneering prawn cracker makers in the village.

There are always bookings, especially from regular local customers and also from outside the district such as Tawau and Kota Kinabalu.

“My mother made ‘keropok udang’ for more than 40 years. She’s old now, so I took over to carry on her legacy,” he said when met by Bernama.

Made of fresh prawns and tapioca flour, the crackers take two to three days to produce, depending on the weather.

“We peel the fresh prawns and mix the flesh with tapioca flour, seasoning and red colouring. Once it’s well blended, we shape the mixture into blocks like ice cream bars and sun-dry them until slightly firm.

“Then we slice them lengthwise using a special cutting board and dry them again until completely crisp before packing them for sale,” he explained, adding that the crackers are produced based on the orders received from customers.  

Each 500-gram pack sells for RM30 for the original flavour and RM32 for the onion-flavoured version.

Leong admitted that income from the business is unpredictable – at times, he sells only about 10 packs a month – but the Chinese New Year season helps him earn enough to get by.

“Usually, during Chinese New Year, orders rise to between 2,000 and 3,000 packs, so I start preparing in advance as early as July or August,” he said.

“I use traditional methods to make them, so I can’t produce them in large quantities at once.”

VILLAGE IDENTITY

Another long-time producer, 80-year-old Maggie Chau, began making prawn crackers years ago to help her mother-in-law. Today, she has taken over the business entirely.

She said in Kampung Pukat, it is mainly the elderly women who are perpetuating the legacy of making ‘keropok udang’ traditionally as the younger generation has lost interest in the trade that has been the identity of their village for over four decades.

Shrimp crackers are among the foods served during Chinese New Year celebrations, as well as being used as gifts.

“The market for ‘keropok udang’ isn’t big, so it’s not done on a large scale. Still, there’s always demand, especially from regular local customers and buyers from districts like Tawau and Kota Kinabalu. It is just enough to sustain us,” she said, adding that the crackers are currently not marketed in Peninsular Malaysia.

Chau also said the key to making good quality ‘keropok udang’ is using premium-grade prawns to maintain the natural prawn flavour.

“There is no secret ingredient… the real secret lies in the mixing and balancing of taste. I use a machine to mix the ingredients and I always make sure the flavour is just right,” said Chau, who is assisted by two workers.

“For large orders, I start production one or two months in advance,” she added.

Although her income is modest, Chau takes pride in knowing that her prawn cracker business and other seafood products helped her raise six children, all of whom have their own careers now.

The main ingredients of the crackers are fresh shrimp paste and cassava flour, and the production period takes two to three days, depending on weather conditions.

Expressing concern that the tradition may one day vanish, she said younger people are reluctant to take it up because the earnings are small.

Located about 330 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, Kampung Pukat is a traditional coastal settlement founded by the Tanka community from Hong Kong during the British era.

The Tanka, originally a seafaring people who lived aboard boats, eventually established Kampung Pukat as a permanent fishing settlement.

Built in the 1950s, the village still retains its iconic stilted wooden houses, reflecting the community’s deep reliance on the sea.

Today, Kampung Pukat is also home to several popular floating seafood restaurants, attracting visitors from in and out of Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA