ENTREPRENEUR CARRIES ON FAMILY LEGACY OF MAKING TRADITIONAL 'KUIH CAKAR AYAM'

MELAKA, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Continuing the legacy of making ‘cakar ayam’ (fritter made from deep-fried sweet potato strands) is no easy task, especially when it comes to maintaining quality and flavour, as well as ensuring that the traditional snack is not lost over time.

For Cakar Ayam Perigi Hang Tuah entrepreneur Hurmazan Ismail, 39, even though the snack is made with just two ingredients, sweet potato and palm sugar syrup, the process must be carried out carefully and patiently.

He said the technique of frying the grated sweet potato with palm sugar syrup must be done correctly, and the fried sweet potato must be placed quickly into a sardine tin mold to prevent it from becoming hard.

“The original cakar ayam recipe I inherited today is from my late grandmother in the 1970s, before my mother, Azizah Salleh, 62, took over the business. Today, the legacy is continued by me and my wife, Darwina Mohamad Som.

“In the past, my grandmother used cassava, but during my mother’s time, we switched to sweet potatoes for their richer taste and softer texture,” he told Bernama when met in Kampung Perigi Hang Tuah here today.

Since taking over the business from his mother in 2010, he and his wife have maintained traditional methods, using sardine tins as molds and a grater to prepare between 100 to 200 kilogrammes of sweet potatoes every week.

He said fans of the snack can also order it in letter shapes, which have become popular for weddings, engagements, or other celebrations.

As an entrepreneur under the Department of Agriculture’s guidance, he also holds demonstrations on the making of cakar ayam for visitors and tourists, giving them a chance to learn the process while enjoying a new experience.

On his future plans for the business, he aims to grow sweet potatoes in pots or through fertigation to ensure a steady supply of the main ingredient for cakar ayam.

“I have applied for RM200,000 in funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security under agro-tourism activities to plant sweet potatoes on a larger scale and ensure the supply does not run out. I also plan to purchase machines for washing and grating sweet potatoes to maintain the current quality.

“This is part of my efforts to overcome supply shortages and rising prices, which had forced me to stop production in the early stages of my business.

“Currently, I am cultivating sweet potatoes on a small scale with the support of the Kampung Perigi Hang Tuah Neighbourhood Watch (KRT) under the Ministry of National Unity,” he added.

-- BERNAMA