BERNAMA (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 26 June 08 Sweet And Sour Frogs Anybody? (Noor Adilah Ali)
Pasir Puteh (Bernama): Fancy this. A frog is an amphibian, which may cause 'repugnance' among many, particularly the women, but it may well end as a delicacy from the cooking pot.
It is well known among residents in Kelantan that the green frog, usually found in paddy fields and swamps, is among the top item on the menu at Chinese restaurants in the state.
To the diners, the taste of the tender and juicy frog meat, enhanced by various herbal concoctions, is an exquisite gastronomic experience.
Hence, it is no surprise that green frog meat is in great demand at these restaurants.
Green frog meat is not only tasty and juicy, but it is also believed to have medicinal values. The Chinese here said eating the green frogs is like consuming a tasty medicine.
For 35-year-old Ng Tau Fook, he finds green frog meat to be not only tasty, it also refreshes and rejuvenates the body.
"The flesh is tasty and is also rejuvenating as it boost my physical capability to carry out my daily work", he told Bernama here recently.
Ng said most Chinese here are fond of eating green frog meat, as it is one of their traditional food, the practice of which has been passed down through the generation.
"If not for our forefathers from China, who passed on this culinary tradition to their offspring, those of us in the present generation would not have known about the delicacy," he said.
According to Ng, the Chinese in the rural areas prefer to catch the green frogs on their own rather than buying them for the cooking pot. He said the amphibians could be easily found in the paddy fields and swamps.
"We call the frog meatayam padi (paddy chicken) as they live in the paddy fields, but their meat tastes much better than chicken", he said.
The irony of it is that, the flesh of these rather ugly creatures are said to be able to enhance a person's appearance and skin texture.
Thus, it is for this reason that Chinese women have develop a liking for frog meat. They are convinced that consuming the frogs flesh daily would enhance their complexion.
Due to the high demand for their meat among the Chinese community here, Tong Lek a/k Eko has resorted to rearing them on a commercial basis.
Because of the high demand for green frog meat among the Chinese community here, the 49-year-old, who is a Malaysian of Thai descend, has been rearing the frogs, near his house, since the past 15 years.
"Over the past 15 years, I have bred some 29,000 frogs, which I had cross-bred with species from Thailand.
"Even that is still not enough to cater for the high demand", he said, adding that demand usually goes up during festive occasions.
He said that frog meat dishes are among the top on the menu, particularly during Chinese New Year celebrations.
"During such times, I need to supply more frogs for sale due to the overwhelming demand," he said.
Tong Lek said that due to its lucrative income, his frog-rearing business has enabled him to comfortably support his family.
The Thai-Malaysian had initially invested some RM15,000 to start the venture, and since then, it has consistently earned him returns many times over.
"Since there are not many who does this for a living, I am able to earn as high as RM300 a day, due to the consistent high demand," he said.
With a daily turnover of between 30kg to 40kg of frog meat, which he sells at RM17 per kilogram, Tong Lek can take home an impressive RM9,000 a month.
According to Tong Lek, the frogs are easy to breed.
He keep his frogs in 11 ponds located around his house and feed them with aqua feed made from catfish flesh, three times a day. The frogs reach maturity in about 100 days.
"After 100 days or three months, the frogs are ready for to be market," he said.
His customers comprise individuals and restaurateurs in and around Kota Baharu. According to Tong Lek, they told him that the frog meat is tasty and sweet.
Frog meat can be prepared in several ways. Some like it in the form of herbal soup, while others prefer to have it served in the 'hot, sweet and sour' Thai style of cooking.
"Frog porridge is among the best. The meat is crispy and very tasty if fried with chilli," said Mok, a 40-year-old salesman from Kuantan.
Mok, who loves eating frog meat, make regular visits to Tong Lek's place in Tumpat to buy the amphibians, as it is difficult to come by in Kuantan.
"I prefer those from Tumpat as it is much tastier," he declared with a hearty laugh.
Sweet And Sour Frogs Anybody?