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Shrimp, or locally known as "Urang" is a marine
decapod crustacean of the genus "Crangon", having a
slender flattened body with a long tail and a single
pair of pincers. Urang is found in the shallow waters of
Sarawak. At Bintulu, it is found in abundance during the
change in monsoons. Because of the small size, fine nets
have to be used to catch them. The arrival of the shrimp
twice a year, is very much awaited by the Bintulu
people.
Each arrival is like a festival. Scores of people
would line up the shores with small nets called "paka".
On the horizon, small boats move in circles around the
schools of shrimp. People would crowd the wharves to buy
these shrimps which come by the boatloads. Soon after
each arrival, the town especially the kampungs and the
other residential areas would be filled with the shrimp
paste or "belacan" aroma.
Bintulu's belacan is well known for its quality.
Residents and visitors alike, look upon belacan either
as a delicacy, or use them as a gift or souvenirs from
Bintulu. Belacan-making, Bintulu style, involves drying
salted shrimp (bubuk) in the sun for two or three hours.
The semi-dried shrimps are then pounded along with sago
pellets (sometimes, a little sugar is added) until they
form a fine paste. Often, drying and pounding have to be
repeated to ensure the texture is fine. A kilogram of
Bintulu belacan now fetches between RM 16 to RM 20.
Belacan is normally made into "sambal belacan" or used
as condiment for vegetables like "changing", "kai lan"
or asparagus. |
