6/4/11 SAGO PANCAKE IS OUR TRADITIONAL PIZZA...

(This kid, I found her in Seram, Indonesia, a far eastern Island. On her left hand is sago pancake. I took the photo, to remind me of the hard life I have gone through, and the pancake in her hand, made me really feel blue, cried deep in my heart)

Tonight, I walked around Mukah New Township. My intent was to have sago pancake. Mukah, Sarawak, had been known since 1880s as a major sago producer, at that time exporting sago to Singapore not as sago flour but sago rippo ie what the local called as lemantak, wet sago flour.

(2) Now after having the sago pancake, I've and idea to write on topics, which I believe one day could be our new commodities. To start, I want to dwell on sago, scientifically known as Metroxylon spp. I have strong believe, sago is not native to Malaysia, even Sumatera and Java. It is an introduced crop by Bornean whom used to trade with the Molucas and Papuan in the 13-14th centuries.

(3) When I was kid, the hard life in the sixties made my parent became very creative on how to feed their family. One of the popular dish for breakfast or even afternoon tea or coffee was the sago pancake. In the local dialect, be it the Melanau, Malay or Iban, the sago pancake is termed as Tumpik or Lempeng Sagu in Javanese. My caution, to the Mat Salleh, or those having Mat Salleh slang please don't simply pronounce the term lempeng the Mat Salleh way, other wise you'll be in trouble! If you don't believe me, give it a try to ask for: give me one lempang! Surely, you get a pelempang, a hard slap on your face!

(4) I believe, in the late 19th centuries, sago rippo was popular since rice, tapioca flour, or wheat flour were not easily available. This was particularly in those World Economic Depression periods, even in the 1920s and 1940s. Thus, as an alternative, sago rippo becoming very popular not only as human feed but as well as the best choice for the pigs farm.

(5) Making sago pancake is not that difficult. What is needed is a cup of sago flour, better if we have the rippo. My grandmum use to mix the rippo with few spoons of rice, and desiccated coconut. Just add a bit of salt. Then, just fry (but without cooking oil) or warm the mixture in a pan fry or rice pot, the local term for this cooking method is hangat (warming), which mean, one can't use too much heat. The nearest preparation, I would say is just like making pizza!

(6) Upon warming, the glutinous sago would melt and form a binding, that would hold the rice and desiccated coconut together, just like the act of the sticky warm up cheese in the pizza preparation.

(7) Tonight the sago pancake that I taken was a bit special. Apart from the normal traditional mixtures, the stall operator add-on dry prawn. That make the pancake much tasty. Taking the pancake with hot coffee or tea is always the best. Great, pancake tea or coffee session is by the beach on a breezy afternoon.

(8) In the sixties, sago pancake was not serve on plate, but in busket made of pandan or bemban. There are instances, sago pancake was served on upih pinang or areca palm sheat-blade. The main reason for such treatment is to keep the pancake warm as long as possible. It taste better when it is warm. Believe me, it is just like pizza, it wouldn't taste good if it is cold! Please don't take sago pancake with cold drink.

(9) Now I'm thinking, instead, we in fact can modified the way we make this sago pancake. Rather using cooking pot or pan fry, we can even use the Microwave.

(10) Likewise, sago pancake could also be taken with honey. What's wrong, making it a replacement to the Arabic roti nan, and be taken with lamb curry. A mixed with the cheese, even sardine probably would give a good flavour. Likewise if curry or the Tom Yam taste could be add-on, surely the sago pancake probably would taste better than the Pizza. Hopefully one day, someone would pick this idea, if any of the reader have access to Chef Wan, feel free to email this idea to him.

(11) I'm thinking, if Sanusi Junid (Datuk), is still around, surely he will popularise this idea. I won't be surprise if he began to talk on Pizza-Lempeng Sagu. Well, good-intelectual guy like him created too much enemies not because he was bad, just because too many people were too envy of his crazy thought. The legend of Hang Nadim in the Malay epic repeated. I believe, firstly Anwar Ibrahim then later Abdullah Ahmad Badawi have some hands on his long absence, readers can check this on Mahathir comments about him couple of years back, especially when Sanusi was thrown out of the UIA.

Mukah, Sarawak
7 April, 2011