Ikan Kering

When I read Shionge's blogs (So shiok!) about her 'ikan kering' in her previous post, a sudden flashback has come across my mind. I've took some photos last week about the life of the 'ikan kering' maker!!!. haha...
How? My great grandmother own the small business. Lolx...


However, she is old and ill now and had stopped working since 12 years ago. Forgot to mention this. She is now 92 year-old!
*roll eyes*

Since then, my uncle takes the job.
Oopss.. I think some of you are puzzling what does 'ikan kering' means.

• English- dried salt fish
• Malay- ikan kering
• Hokkien- kiam hu
• Mandarin - sien yu
• Cantonise - ham yu
• Tamil - ???? (from keshi: Karuvadu)
• Portugis - uhh? (from dalicia: peixes secados de sal)
  
• French- Help! (from dalicia: poissons secs de sel)

Wanna know how does my great grandmother's house look like? Just scroll down your mouse and here we GO!


Dried salt fish is originally made by fishes, of course. Accept they're boneless and salty.
My great grandmother's house is located in the Malay village, somewhere in Perak. They work together with the Malay. How united they are... ;D

Together, they..... :
catch the fishes,
clean the fishes,
take out the bones,
soak them in the salty water,
dried them
and send them to the shops.

Here is another map for Perak:

Her house is very near to Penang... Not far away.. I should said just a stone throw... ;)

These are what they use....
(their equipments)

Clean water: To clean the fishes.

Salt

Fishes are soaked into the salty water.
A bit disgusting uhh? The water turn out to be brown colour.
Why: the blood of the fishes mix up with the salty water.

These are the big old style containers

They left the fishes in the containers for a few days.
Soon, they will be dried under the hot, bright sun!

A Malay lady was placing the salty fishes

A closer look.... Kiam hu! lolx...

When the fishes are completely dried, they will be packed and finally keep them in a huge fridge. I've tried to enter the fridge before when my cousins and I was playing 'hide and seek'. It was extremely cold but the smell was stink. Ehw..
At the end, I gave up to hide in there. haha...

Outside

Inside
I tried to make an estimation before. They can be at least 50 adults in the fridge! Hoho...

The engine...

This is the view of my great grandmother's house:

Plant name: Duit-duit? (money money?)
I heard my mum named it..

The window... wooden house..

Now, lets go into the house!

The bathroom...

The kitchen

And here is the view behind the house. There is a paddy field behind the house. Green...

Yellow house: The owner just painted the house some 2 months ago. Before, it was brown in colour..

Lotus! Beautiful. lol.. I should call them wild lotus. Why? Because they 'conquer' the small river all by themselves... kekez..

I'll visit my great grandmother again whenever I go back to my hometown, Penang. I'm lucky to have a and I hope she will be fine and stay happy all the time.
She's a strong women who will never give up easily and for this reason, I'm totally admiring her.
Hope to visit her again!
;D