Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Sunday at Sartok Market





Before departing Kuching, there was one more stopover for the local flavour - the colourful Sartok market. A taxi ride costing RM12.00 got us there in no time.

The market is an open space with many stalls and colourful canopies. The locals were there early for the freshest pick and many carried rattan baskets and the odd push -along trolleys

Legs in the air!


Talcum, toothpaste, shampoo, whatever packaged


Local biscuits for snacks

Be ready to be surprised. A man was selling bags of fishes . I thought them to be fighting fish, only bigger in size than those I kept as a child. I was wrong. He explained they have the power to ward off bad mischief/ evil doers !



Herbs from the jungle


What caught my attention was the variety of herbs being sold at the vegetable stalls. Some appeared rather strange looking. But if you are curious, go ahead and ask the sellers. They'd only be glad to tell you what it is and how to cook them

Dried foodstuff - anchovies, salted fish etc


Seashells, big and small



 Beautiful orchids


There's enough to write a book from the variety on display. Not only that. Think of the wonderful aromatic curries, ulams and the endless dishes to whet one's appetite. After all, herbs make up a great part of the cuisine in this part of the world.

I couldn't resist bringing home some ? midgin, one of the popular herbs. We had them cooked 2 different styles - with garlic and belachan ( shrimp paste) at the Topspot Seafood Place near the hotel. See, somethings beg to tried more than once!

Just take your time and browse through the pictures I've taken. Familiar scenes? food?


The faithful sugarcane thresher machine


Candy floss to tempt tastebuds


Apam balik ( local pancakes with peanut topping)


 Cockerels on show

The Sartok market was certainly a leisurely wander . Then it was time to lug the suitcase home to K.L.
Posted by Unknown at Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Labels:

28 comments:

  1. Great Grandma LinMay 12, 2009 at 9:14 PM

    thanks for visiting my blog. this is a fascinating look at a busy market. would love to wander by and look-thanks for the opportunity. I love outdoor markets. We have farmers market in our area Utah state during the summers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. morinnMay 13, 2009 at 12:01 AM

    I really love the atmosphere of sunday markets. I mauritius, it's on week days that the markets are more crowded! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. My Castle in SpainMay 13, 2009 at 12:02 AM

    i'd love to try these Apam Balik !
    glad you like the kora music !
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnyaMay 13, 2009 at 3:53 AM

    Yessssssssss I like those chickens LOL
    With the flyings legs HEHE
    Super great markets I love it !!
    I wish I could shopping there ^__^

    ReplyDelete
  5. alicesgMay 13, 2009 at 9:00 AM

    Very interesting to visit the market place. I love to take photos of such street scenes. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMay 13, 2009 at 12:32 PM

    You know the last time I was there, I bought a hibiscus pot and lug it back here. i was extremely tempted to buy a miniature dragon fruit in a pot..you can't imagine how crazy I am over gardening. It's always fun to visit the local market..though I wish I had done it more often here, sadly..it's all airconditioned marketing nowadays. Hope you are having a good week..and yay..weekend's is quite near..its all I think of :P hugs..........M

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownMay 13, 2009 at 2:56 PM

    Thank you all for visiting my blog.

    My Castle In the Sky, I used to eat more of apam balik when I was small. Now there are so amny choises , we forget they are still around.

    M. kate, couldn't agree more. Airconditioned comfort makes us all dive in for the 4 walls. ha! ha!

    ReplyDelete
  8. RAMay 13, 2009 at 3:57 PM

    Wow, you really got throughout the market! Great shots. The apam balik reminds me of sweet martabak here. Have a great day, Sunshine :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. ♥ BrajaMay 13, 2009 at 10:09 PM

    I never got to Kuching, but loved the areas surrounding it...will try next time, but many similar markets throughout, especially in Penang...

    ReplyDelete
  10. DeniseinVAMay 13, 2009 at 10:22 PM

    A lovely post, I enjoyed the photographic tour of your area. Thanks for visiting my blog. I had a great time here.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Susie of ArabiaMay 13, 2009 at 11:20 PM

    What a colorful and interesting market - fun! I love markets like this...

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousMay 14, 2009 at 12:48 AM

    Certainly an interesting place to visit ... markets are one of the best places to visit whenever in foreign lands since it's there we can feel the true sense of people.

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownMay 14, 2009 at 9:24 AM

    Thank you Rosidah, Braja, Denise, Susie of Arabia and ferreira-pinto for popping in. Do come again!
    Have a good day.

    ReplyDelete
  14. IndraniMay 14, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    This tour was wonderful! I got glimpses which I enjoyed seeing so much. Market life is vibrant and colorful always.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AngeleMay 14, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    I like strolling around in markets. There's so many things to see and discover.

    Thanks for sharing those great shots =)

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownMay 14, 2009 at 3:05 PM

    Hi
    Indrani, Angele - thanks for strolling the market with me! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousMay 14, 2009 at 6:43 PM

    Wow, I also love to visits market. I believe it's the heart of a place. This is somehow similar to markets here in Philippines.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Veronica LeeMay 14, 2009 at 9:16 PM

    Love the pics !!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Feisty CroneMay 14, 2009 at 10:23 PM

    Thanks for visiting, and commenting on, my blog. Great pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Suzanne CasamentoMay 15, 2009 at 2:15 AM

    Your pictures are amazing! The colors are so vibrant and I have never seen some of the produce. Your market is very different from the average farmer's market in LA. ; )

    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Veronica LeeMay 15, 2009 at 5:24 AM

    Hi again! How did you find my blog? Just curious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. UnknownMay 15, 2009 at 8:03 AM

    Hi'
    Pacey,Veronica, Gran, Suzanne - thank you for your comments.

    I'm so glad so many of you like the pics. Just know how to hold a camera and shoot! Truth be told, never had such a love affair with a camera!!!Ha! Ha!

    Gran, thank you for being the 12th follower of my blog. Great!

    Veronica, I came across your lovely blog when you commented on one of the blogs you visited. And I was just curious too. Not much help, I know but I'm sorry I've forgotten who!! Oops.
    Will send you mail.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Four-eyed-missyMay 16, 2009 at 10:22 AM

    Hello Sunshine.
    This is why I love visiting local markets whenever I travel abroad. I love to bask in the market atmosphere, with all the sights, sounds, tastes and the not mention the smell! These market scenes are familiar to me :) One thing I noticed though is that the veggies on the first photo are stacked neatly... in Phnom Penh, they don't do that!

    Thanks for these lovely pictures. And for visiting my blog earlier :)
    Have a nice weekend.


    SreisaatAdventures

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownMay 16, 2009 at 4:46 PM

    Hi Sreisaat, thanks for popping in.
    You're right about the market atmosphere, smell included! That's a keen observation of the neat display of the veggies. In fact,they do that for other products too.

    ReplyDelete
  25. UnknownMay 19, 2009 at 8:02 PM

    Hi,
    I read every post on yr trip to Kuching,interesting isn't it..I hope you enjoy the vacation & the hospitality of Kuching ppl:)
    Your shoot beautiful,all of them & Thanks for the visit.

    ReplyDelete
  26. UnknownMay 19, 2009 at 8:22 PM

    Hi uncleawang
    Kuching was wonderful and a revisit is definite. My camera is a Canon Digital IXUS 8505 1S. Through blogging, I'm learning how to handle a camera, by slow degrees.
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  27. Marie ReedMay 21, 2009 at 4:57 PM

    These market shots are fascinating! What exactly is done with the sugar cane after it's threshed? How do people use it? I've never seen that!

    ReplyDelete
  28. UnknownMay 21, 2009 at 5:35 PM

    Hi Marie Reed,
    The sugar cane is passed through the thresher and it gets mangled, flattened. The juice is collected at one end. Here in Malaysia ,the vendor will mix the juice with ice cubes . We can then enjoy a nice glass/ plasic bag of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. it tastes really nice as it is. The colour is an off green.
    As for the fibrous leftovers, I think they are discarded. Don't think they are used for compost as they are tough. Hope that answers your question.

    ReplyDelete

Great to have you popping in!

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)