GUA MUSANG: Only a small segment of the Mendriq Orang Asli community continues to practise the tradition of consuming kalung sireh (roots of the sireh bukit plant), which has been practised by their ancestors for hundreds of years.
According to housewife Anis Jusoh, 40, finding the plant is difficult because it only grows in certain remote forest areas and can take up to two days to locate.
“Usually, if we find the sireh bukit plant, we pull it out by the roots to make kalung sireh before chewing it.
“We will uproot as much of the plant as possible to stock up so that we don’t have to return to the forest,” she told Bernama.
Anis said it is a staple for the Orang Asli community and anyone can consume it.
“I’ve introduced kalung sireh to my family to ensure they don’t forget it and it can be passed on to future generations.
“I was taught by my parents to chew kalung sireh from a young age,” she said.
According to her, kalung sireh is tastier when mixed with a bit of lime, gambir and betel nut, all prepared using cengkerang siput sedut (shells of river snails).
“Once the kalung sireh is gathered and wrapped in betel leaves, we place both ingredients inside the cengkerang siput sedut to be roasted,” she explained.
After it is roasted, the shell packed with kalung sireh is placed in a container of water and left for three days.
“After three days, the snail shell is pounded into a fine powder and mixed with water. Then, it is ready to be consumed at any time.
“Typically, I eat kalung sireh after cooking lunch while waiting for my children and husband to return from work,” she said.
Kamarul Jeluk, 50, said chewing kalung sireh has been a daily habit since childhood, and he could not go a day without it.
“If I don’t eat kalung sireh every day, I feel incomplete.
“It tastes bitter but has many health benefits, including reducing bad breath and improving digestion,” he added.
