Fermented seafood rarely flies under the radar of many Malaysians, but pekasam—in all its firm, sour glory—has been left out of the national food books for too long. 

The Temuan way to cook this fish is over the embers of an outdoor stove. If you have an available setup, we highly encourage you to go for it.

This dish, inherited from Banyen’s late grandmother, makes an appearance at least twice a week on their dinner table at home, as it is her dad and grandfather’s favourite dish.

Hinava is a traditional native dish of the Kadazandusun people in the state of Sabah, which is a method of cooking saltwater or freshwater fish using lime juice.

The star of this dish is fenugreek, along with the freshest fish possible. When Nisha first introduced it to her daughter, it was “the most delicious thing I had ever eaten”.

This dish is a common staple on Diana’s family dining table, as her mom would buy terung Dayak whenever they were in season.