During my tenure at a British construction firm, I encountered a persistent Scottish colleague named Bill (Glasgow) who harbored an insistent desire to sample authentic Kelantanese cuisine. His relentless requests finally persuaded me to grant his wish. Upon agreeing, Bill exuded sheer joy, assuring me he'd cover the expenses.
Arranging a lunch outing in Kota Bharu, near the Istana Balai Besar, I selected a variety of dishes including ikan singgang, kerabu perut, ulam set (jering, kerdas, and bintang berayun), daging bakar, and, of course, "budu" accompanied by cili padi (lada burong), tempoyak, mango, and a hint of lemongrass.
I told my local friends :
"Dio ni "daghak" sikit, tok beso dok sselo - kito nok wi dio make budu skali" followed by a laugh.
Initially misunderstanding my jest as mockery, Bill sought clarification, prompting me to explain that "daghak" meant "awkward" and the term was not meant to offend. Bill, taking it in stride, joked about his own 'awkwardness,' remarking, "I am 'daghak' - you should have guessed that by now"
"But Bill, a word of caution - avoid using "daghak" when addressing locals - as it could be construed as "mocking". Calling a local as "daghak" may imply "uncivilized" and it could be offensive"
During lunch, Bill relished the array of dishes, particularly the "budu" dipped with "ikan singgang," despite his slight "daghak" (awkwardness) in handling rice by hand, more like 'scooping'. To our surprise, he sipped and finished the balance "budu" - likening it to drinking juice, much to our astonishment.
I pointed to him - "YOU are "daghak" indeed - welcome to Kelantan, mate"
The following day, Bill experienced some discomfort, likely due to overindulgence in "kerdas" and "jering," despite my earlier advice to proceed with caution. It seems Bill, being a 'mat salleh' "daghak" - still has some learning to do when it comes to navigating Kelantanese cuisine with finesse.
(Photo source : Google)
No comments:
Post a Comment