Food @ Keropok Lekor

Short notes:
Thanks to Food and Culture. Lecturer assigned us to write a 2 pages essay about local traditional foods with their history background and cultural value. I got the title of ‘Keropok Lekor’, the most common snack for everyone in Terengganu.


I know you may feel weird why I write a post like this. Hehe…because I wanna try out something. I have a kinda-big-but-lame-wish! *shhh…not gonna tell you what is it*


Below is the article I wrote:-

One of the popular traditional snacks in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia is keropok lekor. Keropok lekor or sausage-like snack has long existed in Malaysia and can be found everywhere in Malaysia primarily in Terengganu (Omar et al., 2011). It is grayish in color and in tube-shaped (Tourism Terengganu, 2007). It is the famous traditional snack in Terengganu and also Kelantan. Keropok lekor does not have any history. It symbolizes Malay culture as the major resident in Terengganu and Kelantan are Malay. It has become a must-buy delicacy for the tourist, especially for Malay ethnic. It has been sold in commercial retail shops as well as on the street. Consumers usually can purchase keropok lekor from local hawker stalls and night markets. Losong is one of the famous places to buy keropok lekor (Tourism Terengganu, 2007). There is frozen keropok lekor sold in the market too.

The basic ingredients used to produce keropok lekor are fish, sago flour, salt and icy cold water (Tourism Terengganu, 2007). Ground fish is mixed with sago flour and salt as flavoring ingredients. Fish used to make the keropok usually are ikan selayang, ikan parang, ikan kembong and ikan kerisi. To make keropok lekor, first clean the fish thoroughly. Then scrape off the meat and mince the meat finely. Add salt, sago flour and icy cold water to mix into the dough. Icy cold water is mixed little by little until the dough becomes soft. Roll the dough into cylindrical shape like sausage. Traditionally, keropok lekor is precooked by boiling in water for a few minutes (Omar et al., 2011). The cooked dough will be then be cut into smaller tube-shaped for deep frying. Another option to take keropok lekor is by steaming.

There are two ways to eat keropok lekor, which are deep fried or steamed. Fried keropok lekor is fried until crispy gold while steamed keropok lekor gives a fishier flavor. Keropok lekor is nice to be eaten hot dipped with chili sauce. Another kind of keropok is keropok keping. They are the thinner version of keropok lekor. They are made up or larger tube-shaped keropok being sliced into very thin slices and taken as crackers (Tourism Terengganu, 2007).

Keropok lekor is tasty and crunchy. It can be chewy too. It has slightly fishy taste and best eaten while hot. It is a very popular snack and should be introduced to other states in Malaysia and even oversea to increase its popularity to become a good symbol of Malay culture.

1.http://foodmalaysia.net/keropoklekor.htm

2.http://www.travelterengganu.com/culinary/keropok-lekor-keropok-losong-terengganu/

3.http://www.tourism.terengganu.gov.my/culinary/keropoklekor.htm

4.Omar, M., Mohd Adzahan, N., Mohd Ghazali, H., Karim, R., Abdul Halim, N. and M. and Ab Karim, S. (2011). Sustaining traditional food: consumers’ perceptions on physical characteristics of Keropok Lekor or fish snack. International Food Research Journal 18: 117-124.

(The conclusion was kinda lame and short...yes I know...T_T)I like Keropok lekor since high school in Teluk Intan, Perak. It’s my must-eat snack in school, and always get scolded and warned by my choir instructor for eating so much of fried keropok lekor will spoil my voice later. Hehee ;P


So, I should be glad to study in Terengganu right? because I can eat as much as keropok lekor I want to! Yay!!

 PS: Cite my words please if you use this as reference! Thanks a lot~