KUCHING: Traditional kuih remains a popular choice for buka puasa, despite the increasing variety of modern snacks and desserts.
At the Satok Ramadan bazaar here, Mahadir Punjap and Hafiza Sapiee offer a colourful spread of steamed and grilled delicacies at their stall.
Hafiza, 42, said she prepared most of the kuih herself from age-old family recipes.
Among the crowd favourites are kuih perahu and bongkol, both made from rice flour, coconut milk and nipah palm sugar, locally known as gula apong.
Kuih perahu, which has a soft custard-like texture, comes in a casing of nipah leaves shaped like a boat, while bongkol is wrapped in banana leaves and is firmer in texture.
Other items at their stall include tapai (fermented rice cake), selorot (kuih steamed in a nipah leaf cone), bingka labu (steamed pumpkin cake), pulut panggang and seri muka.
Mahadir, 44, said traditional kuih continues to appeal to customers, especially those seeking familiar childhood flavours.
Priced from 50sen to RM2 a piece, their kuih is an affordable choice for families preparing for buka puasa meals.
In contrast, another stall at the bazaar offers the relatively new Vietnamese rolls which have also gained a following among customers.
Stall assistant Puteri Nashrieen Subri said the rolls come with a salad filling and 17 toppings to choose from.
“The spicy prawn and salmon toppings are the most popular,” she said, adding that the stall received good response since it started selling the rolls three years ago.
Organised by Kuching North City Hall (DBKU), the Satok Ramadan bazaar has 82 food stalls, 22 beverage stalls and four grilled food stalls.
The bazaar will be open daily until March 20.
