Business Is Good At Kelantan's Ramadan Bazaars

By Mohamad Bakri Darus KOTA BHARU (Kelantan, Malaysia), June 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's east coast state of Kelantan is known for its array of mouth-watering traditional delicacies. ‘Nasi kerabu daging bakar’, ‘nasi dagang ikan aya’, ‘ayam percik’ and ‘gulai serati’ are only some of the more well-known treats synonymous to the state. It is therefore unsurprising that the Ramadan bazaars in the state are quite a festive affair with traders enjoying brisk business, motivating them to return every year . GOOD BUSINESS One of the more popular Ramadan bazaars is the one outside the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium here. Zamri Mohd Nor (picture), 42, who sells ayam percik (grilled marinated chicken basted with a spiced coconut milk gravy) at the bazaar said that the dish was especially popular during the fasting month. “I sell over 30 chicken worth of ayam percik daily. I make them using the recipe passed down to me by my late father who started selling ayam percik in 1990,” said the 42-year-old, who took over the business in 2005. Another popular fare at the Ramadan bazaar is the ‘ketupat sotong’ (squid stuffed with glutinous rice). Nor Aqidah Nabilah Mohd Rasidi, 28, said that she used about 30kg of squid to make the ketupat sotong every day during the fasting month. "I would start selling by 3.30pm and three hours later it would be sold out,” said Nor Aqidah, who had been selling the dish at Ramadan bazaars since eight years ago. Traditional kuih supplier Nik Faizah Nik Abdul Rahman is also enjoying lucrative returns this fasting month as demand is especially high during Ramadan. The 63-year-old supplies to Ramadan bazaars popular Kelantan kuih like ‘buah tanjung’, ‘jala mas’, ‘cek mek telur’, ‘akok’, ‘pauh dilayang’ and ‘kuih tahi itik'. “I use about 2,000 eggs every day to make these as some kuih like the jala mas only use the yolk while others, like kuih tahi itik, require egg whites,” she said. AVOIDING THE CROWD To avoid the massive crowd that tend to gather at Ramadan bazaars, some visitors would come as soon as traders set up their stalls at 3.00pm. “You can find all sorts of Kelantan delicacies here from rice to side dishes, kuih, beverages and even ‘tapai pulut’ (fermented glutinous rice) and ‘tapai ubi’ (fermented tapioca),” said visitor Hassan Abdul Rahman, 52. Many of the bazaars start at 3pm and end at 7pm every day with Health Department officers regularly coming to check on the hygiene and cleanliness of the stalls operating there. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA