Sibu, Malaysia — The covered market (day) — Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
Exploring the day market in Sibu
March 2015
One thing I always liked about Malaysian towns were the markets. And I seemed to find the best in East Malaysia, where Sibu had two great examples — a night market and a covered day market.
The Sibu covered market was an excellent place to explore, and on this visit, I got there a little late. Most of the stalls had closed or were closing.
One problem I have in the markets in Malaysia is I don’t recognise a lot of the things on sale. For example, what are these?
I hate to say it, but they look like very organised horse droppings. But clearly, they are not as they were on sale in a fruit and vegetable area.
And what is this?
The market is also an excellent place for people-watching.
I loved how neat and carefully things were organised.
Now, these things were a worry. I had no idea what they were. They were alive and busy wrinkling in the baskets.
Having spoken to some Malaysian friends, I discovered they are the larvae of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, also called the Red Palm Weevil or the Sago Worm (see Wikipedia for more details). You can eat the worms raw or cooked.
If eaten raw, you should not put the whole worm in your mouth as it will bite you — only fair as you are trying to eat it. You need to hold the head of the worm and bite off the body. The worm will then ‘squirt’ into your mouth; I have been told they have a creamy taste.
Alternatively, you can cook the Sago Worms, and they taste like meat (chicken or bacon — opinion was divided on this point). The worms are a delicacy and are typically seen on sale in eastern Malaysia and not on the Malaysian peninsula.
More neat stacking of vegetables.
The market didn’t just sell fruit and vegetables; it also sold meat and fish.
And it is not just their fruit and vegetables that get neatly stacked; the same is true of egg trays.
One thing I had to admire was that they washed everything down at the end of the day, swept the floors, and then covered the stalls.
Sibu Covered Market was an interesting place to explore, and if you are in Sibu, it is worth a visit.
