22/06/2025

ON SUNDAY JUNE 22, 2025 theSunday Special VIII SšŒ ïÚ ܌ –³À—³È ȳ ‚Àv— v‚³ËÈ W HEN it comes to con versations about healthy eating, we Malaysians have a curious tendency to overlook our own pan Indian mackerel is a humble staple in Malaysian MKVEJGPU DWV PWVTKVKQPCNN[ KVũU UYKOOKPI KP DGPGƓVU of salmon, sometimes more, depending on how it’s caught and prepared.

It’s also a great source of protein, vi tamin D and selenium. According to the Malaysian Food Composition Database, it punches well above its weight in nutri tional value, especially compared to the ZDOOHW EXVWLQJ ¿VK DW JRXUPHW JURFHUV Here’s the kicker: It’s sustainable, local and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. It R̆ HUV ZRUNLQJ FODVV QXWULWLRQ DW DURXQG RM12 to RM18 per kg (depending on season and location) without the elitist price tag. A ¿VK RI PDQ\ WDEOHV It is perhaps best known as a simple JULOOHG RU IULHG ¿VK ± FULVS IUDJUDQW DQG served alongside rice. However, its ver satility keeps it relevant across ethnic cuisines and generations. Whether lightly seasoned, stewed in a savoury broth or SDQ IULHG ZLWK VSLFHV LW DGDSWV H̆ RUWOHVVO\ WR GL̆ HUHQW FRRNLQJ VW\OHV DQG KRXVHKROG preferences. It’s fried to a crisp in Malay households and served with ulam and budu . Chinese Malaysian households often prepare ikan kembung by pan-frying or steaming it, then dressing it with a sauce made from soy sauce, ginger, garlic and scallions. In Indian homes, it’s coated in turmeric and chilli powder before hitting the frying pan. There’s a reason it has stayed in our kitchens through economic booms and slumps. It’s quick to cook, forgiving to season and goes well with almost anything – rice, porridge, even bread, if you’re bold. More than that, it’s comfort food. The kind that smells like your childhood lunchbox and reminds you of weekday dinners with no smartphones on the table.

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tries. We stock up on imported salmon, crack open cans of tuna and nod approv ingly at Omega-3 supplements – often unaware that the answer has been sizzling in our sambal for decades. Enter the unassuming ikan kembung or Indian mackerel. It’s not Instagram mable like a poke bowl. It doesn’t arrive on a cedar-planked salmon with a sprig RI GLOO %XW ZKDW LW ODFNV LQ ÀDVK LW PDNHV up for in substance. This silvery, oily ¿VK ZLGHO\ DYDLODEOH DW ZHW PDUNHWV DQG hypermarkets alike, is one of the most nutrient-dense, affordable sources of Omega-3 fatty acids you can find. It’s been quietly nourishing generations of Malaysians, long before wellness became a hashtag. To many, ikan kembung is just “that fish in curry” or “the one you eat with mixed rice”. But dig a little deeper and \RX¶OO ¿QG LW¶V QRW MXVW D KRXVHKROG VWDSOH LW¶V D ERQD ¿GH ORFDO VXSHUIRRG 0D\EH LW¶V time we treated it as such. An Omega-3 overachiever Let’s get the science out of the way. Omega-3 fatty acids, the kind your car diologist would approve of, are essential fats your body cannot produce on its own. 7KH\ KHOS UHGXFH LQÀDPPDWLRQ VXSSRUW brain function and lower the risk of heart disease. Most people associate these EHQH¿WV ZLWK SULFLHU ¿VK OLNH VDOPRQ RU cod liver oil capsules. But guess what? A 100g serving of Indian mackerel delivers just as much Omega-3 as a similar portion

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T RR FRPPRQ WR EH FHOHEUDWHG" Part of Indian mackerel’s problem, if it can be called that, is its ubiquity. It’s so deeply woven into our daily meals that it feels ordinary, unworthy of culinary reverence. Unlike imported fish that EHQH¿W IURP H[FOXVLYLW\ DQG PDUNHWLQJ LW LV DOPRVW WRR DFFHVVLEOH

FRQVXPHUV WR VXSSRUW ORFDO ¿VKHUV ZKR practise ethical harvesting, using nets that don’t destroy juvenile populations and avoiding peak breeding seasons. Frozen options can also be viable, espe FLDOO\ ZKHQ ÀDVK IUR]HQ DW VHD UHWDLQLQJ nutrition and freshness. But consumers need guidance. Labels that indicate where DQG KRZ WKH ¿VK ZDV FDXJKW DUH UDUH DQG SXEOLF DZDUHQHVV UHPDLQV ORZ )RU D ¿VK that’s everywhere, ikan kembung could do with better PR. R HFODLPLQJ WKH ORFDO VXSHUIRRG ODEHO If kembung ZHUH D QHZO\ GLVFRYHUHG ¿VK from the Norwegian fjords, it would have D JORVV\ EURFKXUH UHFLSH LQÀXHQFHUV DQG a wellness cult following by now. But it’s ours and maybe that’s the whole point. We don’t need foreign validation to crown our own superfoods. With rising grocery bills, health anxieties and a growing interest in local produce, there’s never been a better time to embrace it. It’s not trendy and may never be photogenic, but it’s everything a modern Malaysian household needs: nutritious, versatile, budget-friendly and local. So the next time you see it at the market – it’s still shining, still reasonably priced. Don’t look past it. Pick a few, grill them or drop them into a spicy curry. That’s not just lunch. That’s centuries of wisdom and nourishment on a plate.

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