KUALA TERENGGANU: Unique, delicious and cheap.
This is the picture being given by visitors to the Ramadan bazaar at Wisma Persekutuan of the smoked venison cooked with coconut milk, turmeric and ‘bird’s eye’ chilli being sold in 250g packets at RM10 each.
This exotic dish is among the 20 iftar food being sold by Koperasi Usahawan Groom Big Terengganu Bhd (Kuganu) throughout Ramadan this year.
Its chairman, Hawa Abd Rahman, 58, said each of Kuganu’s 70 members are taking turns selling different types of food to help the business cooperative make money.
“Among the attractions is Negeri Sembilan’s daging rusa salai masak lemak cili api. Most visitors are excited by it because it hasn’t been spotted in any other Ramadan bazaar in Terengganu yet,” she told Bernama today.
Even more special is the fact that the venison comes from deer raised by a Kuganu member who owns the Quinara Al Safir Resort in Gong Badak where Bernama visited and saw some 20 deer being raised at a facility in the rear.
Resort chef, Faizuddin Yusof, said the meat yield from a medium-sized deer is 26-30kg, while the bones weigh 15-20kg.
“Deer from the resort are slaughtered at the Veterinary Services Department, with the smoking of the meat taking six hours.
“This is the first time I’m cooking smoked venison in this style for Kuganu at the Ramadan bazaar. We’re not selling it in a big quantity to make it exclusive and sought-after,” he said.
Bazaar visitor, Haslina Rusli, 39, said she has been craving venison while pregnant with her third child and was thrilled when a friend told her about it being sold at the Ramadan bazaar.
“I never knew venison could be found in Terengganu because as far as I know, it is only found in Kuantan or Cherating in Pahang. Alhamdulillah, it’s my good fortune to be able to enjoy it now,” she said.
Nur Halima Sidik, 23, said she was delighted to discover daging rusa salai masak lemak cili api being sold at the bazaar at a reasonable price.
“I’m not from Negeri Sembilan but studied at the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Nilai, so I’ve had a taste of it and really miss it.
“When a friend told me it was available here, I ordered it straightaway for breaking fast today. So, a longing fulfilled to enjoy a favourite food of a people who practise the adat perpatih,” she said. – Bernama
