Cow head curry apparently a delicacy for Bangladeshis

Compiled by C.ARUNO, NG Zi QIN and R.ARAVINTAN

BANGLADESHI workers in Malaysia are known to relish cooking curry with cow heads, especially when assisting with the slaughter during Hari Raya Aidiladha, Utusan Malaysia reported.

According to cattle farmer Abdul Latif Abd Rashid, Bangladeshis especially savour the cheek.“Usually, the Bangladeshi workers who help at the surau or mosques during the sacrificial slaughter will request the cow head to cook curry at home.

“However, the cooking process is quite complicated. The cooks need to burn the cow head first, remove its skin, scrape off the meat and then boil it for a long time,” he said.

Abdul Latif, 41, said the cow heads are typically sold at RM10 per kg, depending on the size.

“I also enjoy eating cow heads with my family, especially during Aidiladha. We usually make soup and dip it in black sambal. It’s truly delightful,” he added.

A Bangladeshi sawmill worker identified as Abdullah, 49, said cow head meat is tender and delicious.

“It’s great for cooking curry and eating with rice, especially when shared with friends,” he said, adding that back in Dhaka, they often ate cow heads too during Hari Raya Aidiladha.

> Kosmo! reported that cows were transported by boat to Perhentian Island, Terengganu, for the sacrificial ritual.

Boat operator Mohd Ahazar Abd Rashid said this was his first time transporting live animals.

“I usually deliver goods like sand, iron and cement, mainly for the construction sector.

“This time, I took the challenge of transporting live cows to help the Muslim residents of Perhentian Island perform their sacrifice,” he said at the Kampung Air Tawar jetty.

Mohd Ahazar said the job of transporting the six cows was risky and had to be done carefully.

In addition to dealing with the weather and sea currents, they had to be ready for unforeseen situations since live animals were involved. The journey took around two hours – longer than the usual 90 minutes.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.