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| Bosou (Source) |
If you are a true Kadazan-Dusun you must have at least consume ‘bosou’ or pickled fish/meat. The main ingredient to ferment the raw fish or meat is what we called ‘pangi’. ‘Pangi’ is made from what the Malay called ‘buah kepayang’. It is a type of nut which is poisonous in nature and in order to consume it one has to prepare it in such a way to get rid of the poison then only you can used in dishes.
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| Pangi/Buah Kepayang/Kluwak nuts (Source) |
According to Chowhound, in Indonesia, in order to process the nut, it would be buried in volcanic ash and allowed to mature. Then it need to be soaked in water for 3 days. The water needs to be changed and the nuts brushed clean daily.
In Sabah though, normally by the Kadazan-Dusuns, pangi is used as a food preservative (as well as for making 'bosou') where pieces of meat or fish will be covered by pounded flesh of the nut before drying them under the sun. Now, I'm not sure whether it is process (of getting rid of the poison) before being used as a food preservative, but by the sound of it the flesh of the nut is just pounded into a powdery substances before using.
Mostly I don’t care what’s in the dish as long as it’s good to eat. But since I think I would like to make ‘bosou’ someday I might as well get to know my dishes. Now, ‘bosou’ might have a pungent smell for some, but when it is stir fried with onion, garlic and bird-eye chilly, you might as well add another bowl of rice. It is so good…I tell you.
In Sabah though, normally by the Kadazan-Dusuns, pangi is used as a food preservative (as well as for making 'bosou') where pieces of meat or fish will be covered by pounded flesh of the nut before drying them under the sun. Now, I'm not sure whether it is process (of getting rid of the poison) before being used as a food preservative, but by the sound of it the flesh of the nut is just pounded into a powdery substances before using.
Mostly I don’t care what’s in the dish as long as it’s good to eat. But since I think I would like to make ‘bosou’ someday I might as well get to know my dishes. Now, ‘bosou’ might have a pungent smell for some, but when it is stir fried with onion, garlic and bird-eye chilly, you might as well add another bowl of rice. It is so good…I tell you.
Now, imagine my surprise when I come across a recipe which used ‘pangi’ or what the Indonesian called ‘keluwak/kluak/kluwak’ nuts in a SOUP! Now, that bizzare. What would it taste like? I know that ‘pangi’ has a bit of bitterness to it. Black, powdery, bitter substance in a liquid dish?
Introducing Nasi Rawon, a traditional beef stew or soup accompanied with rice (nasi), hence the name. Interestingly, the deep black color of the soup is from the kluwak nuts, the main spices in the soup. This dish is typically from the Indonesian province of East Java particularly in Surabaya. There is even a restaurant in Surabaya which is called Rawon Setan (Devil’s Rawon) which is listed in tripadvisor and according to some a must visit.
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| Looks appetizing with the rich black broth |
It's interesting human is capable of using deadly resources of food to accustom to our need. Surely there must have cases in the olden days where people died from consuming this type of food before they learn how to process it.
I wouldn't mind trying one since it's a very popular dish that there is even a version of it in Singapore. I wonder if it's available in Malaysia...
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