KEPALA BATAS: Wanting to offer busy Muslims food that is easy to eat, visually appealing and convenient for buka puasa, some traders are crossing cultures with sushi and doughnuts.
Doughnut seller Intan Fatima Mohd Ghazali, 37, had been preparing for days before setting up her stall at the Ramadan bazaar in Bertam Perdana here.
“We started preparing seriously a few days before Ramadan, from applying for the trading site to getting our ingredients ready,” she said when met at her parents’ house in Permatang Rambai yesterday.
Intan said she uses 20kg of flour daily to make roughly 400 doughnuts.
She said the dough was mixed and proofed in batches, fillings were cooked and stored properly and toppings were sourced from suppliers or prepared in advance so they could begin selling on the first day of Ramadan.
Intan said doughnuts had become popular for breaking fast as they were easy to share and appealed to all age groups.
“People like something sweet after fasting all day. Doughnuts are simple, not too heavy and children love them.
“Customers buy them in boxes to take home for the family,” she said, adding that they were priced at RM4 each or RM10 for three, with more than 20 types of toppings available. She said she maintained the RM4 price despite a 20% increase in raw material costs.
She said preparation was crucial as she expected large crowds at the bazaar on the first day of Ramadan.
Home-made sushi trader Nor Fatin Mashirah Zulkefli, 31, said sushi’s popularity at Ramadan bazaars stemmed from its light texture and variety of flavours, making it an alternative to heavier local dishes.
“We began preparations a week before Ramadan by sourcing fresh ingredients, marinating seafood and pre-cutting vegetables. “Rice is prepared early on the day itself because it must be fresh and at the right temperature,” she said.
She said Malaysian home-made sushi differed from what was typically eaten in Japan, as it incorporated local flavours and ingredients.
“Our sushi uses milder and slightly sweeter seasoning to suit local tastes while keeping the basic Japanese techniques,” she said.
Bertam Perdana village community management council chairman Hafiz Juned said 55 small-time traders would operate at the Ramadan bazaar for the month. With a fee of RM400 per site, traders were allowed to operate throughout Ramadan.
“They must hold a valid licence, have a typhoid vaccination and ensure their stalls are kept clean,” he said.
He said traders were encouraged to adopt cashless transactions, wear aprons at all times and maintain hygiene standards.
