By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, July 8: ‘Sotong tutuk’ or pounded cuttlefish grilled over a charcoal fire is a popular local snack, usually savoured after it has been dipped in a sweet-spicy tangy soya sauce.
Pounding the dried cuttlefish meat with a hammer or heavy object breaks down the tough meat fibre into an almost soft texture, easily torn apart by fingers, and easy to consume.
One well-known traditional ‘sotong tutuk’ vendor and stall operator is 66-year-old Salim Ibrahim, who has mastered the pounding technique to make the snack in the 34 years he has accumulated in producing the said snack since 1990.
When met recently by DayakDaily, he was keeping up a steady staccato of hammer strikes on a piece of dried cuttlefish placed on a hardwood post at an eatery near Satok Suspension Bridge. He revealed the idea of making and selling ‘sotong tutuk’ came about to him after observing a few local vendors long ago using hammers to flatten and tenderise the dried cuttlefish.
“I was amazed at their skills and how easy it was to see them intricately hammering away in a few minutes to produce a snack. I must confess that mastering the skill took me a while without hitting myself on the fingers. But I was determined to make these snacks using a hammer.
“That is why my son who prepares the same snack at another outlet has resorted to a roller machine. It is much easier and faster. But what happens if the machine breaks down for the day?”
According to Salim, there is a slight difference in ‘sotong tutuk’ produced with a hammer, as manually hammering the meat makes the dried cuttlefish easier to tear apart compared to ‘sotong tutuk’ produced with a roller machine.
“Only those who have eaten much of such snack can tell the difference. Many locals also revealed to me that hammering the meat produces a much better texture and tastier snack. Of course, everybody has a different palate,” he said.
Salim revealed he started with a hammer given by his wife’s uncle, which he described as a priceless possession he had kept for the last 34 years.
The tool weights about a kilogramme, but he is unsure of the composition of the metal hammerhead. Nevertheless, it performs well and had allowed him to build his livelihood.
“I kept it as it had done its deed, and even the wooden handle has my finger grip mark on it after so many years of using it as a hammering tool. Now I have a ‘new’ one which is also quite old too.”
Salim also revealed the hard wooden stand on which he hammers the dried cuttlefish is made of belian and was specially made for him. He has two stands, as the surface of the first has been pounded into a concave hollow by repeated hammer strikes over the years.
He lamented that the price of dried cuttlefish has rocketed. It now costs RM170 per kilogramme for small cuttlefish while big cuttlefish cost RM220 per kilogramme.
“It used to be RM20 per kilo for the big sizes before the pandemic, and so it is why not many stalls are operating and selling such snacks in Kuching.”
He added the cuttlefish he buys locally in Kuching is actually imported from Thailand as the meat colour is light brown compared to those imported from Indonesia, which has a darker hue.
“So the smaller type is sold at a different price than the bigger type. But I always hammer them accordingly to be served as the customer orders. The bigger size cuttlefish can stretch much longer and could be more than double in length as compared to before being hammered.”
Salim also revealed that a ‘leaf shape’ cuttlefish would stretch longer than a rounded shape.
He sells a homemade sauce to go with the ‘sotong tutuk’ he sells.
Salim revealed that since he moved to the present eatery in 1995, he sells bottles of his sauce in two sizes. A small bottle is priced at RM13 while a big bottle sells for RM20.
“This is to expand my business. The sauce is also ideal for rojak sotong dishes, which I also serve at my stall here.”
Salim disclosed that when preparing and hammering the cuttlefish, he does not talk about the size, shape and prices to customers as it could interfere with his rhythm when making the snack.
There is also a touch of superstition in how he displays the cuttlefish for customers to see and choose.
“I do this, as I can process the cuttlefish without issues such as hitting my fingers or not shaping and stretching it longer and affecting the taste.
“But I believe that customers come as I can give them a tasty cuttlefish snack, and they are mesmerised by my traditional hammering skills,” he said.
Salim’s stall Sotong Salim is at Aneka Rasa, No. 6, Pusat Penjaja, Jalan Satok, Kuching. It operates daily from 4pm to 10pm. For more information, call 013 800 4533. — DayakDaily
