Last Day in Kota Bharu
Today is our last day in Kota Bharu. Before starting our long journey back home, we headed first to the famous state market, Pasar Siti Khadijah to buy my mom’s home-made spices and some keropok (fish chips). This market is also home to some rare stuff (at least rare in KL).
Inside Pasar Siti Khadijah. The business in Kelantan is dominated mostly by woman entrepreneurs.
Mak Ciks waiting for customer
While waiting for customer, smoking traditional leaf cigarette (tobacco folded into dried palm leaves) is one of the favourite past time here.
Being the most influential Islamic state in the country, Kelantan really encourage on the use of Islamic currency; dinar and dirham.
I'm not sure whether this would be a good marketing strategy, but somehow the chicken arrangement is a bit daunting; as if they are criminals that have been sentenced of death penalty.
- Row of pickles
Aha, if you must know, this is how tamarind fruit looks like. Don't underestimate, even though it looks like nothing but a fresh cat poops, it has this sweet and tingling sour tastes; thus making it one of the main ingredient in most malay and thai dishes.
Velvet Tamarinds (Buah Keranji) which is eminently described in traditional malay poem.
Well no, these are not dented ping pong balls. These are turtle eggs.
We then went to the second floor to see what's more of it. To our finding, second floor is chock-full of colourful local tidbits and whats not.
Raw 'keropok' or fish chips; our must buy if visiting the east coast.
Our final contestant of the day. 'Serunding' or meat floss is one of my favourite. It's simple and can be eaten just with anything, marvelous as bread fillings. It looks simple, but the cooking process is really tedious.
>> To be continued…
