Reinventing Pekasam: Women Of Kampung Kubang Badak Launch Oyster Mushroom Venture

KUALA NERUS, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- In Kampung Kubang Badak, a village known for its traditional charms, a group of resourceful women is reinventing a beloved local delicacy - pekasam.

While many associate pekasam with fish or meat preserved with tamarind, salt, and toasted rice, these women are introducing a fresh twist by crafting it from oyster mushrooms, with expert guidance from Dr Faridah Yahya, a lecturer from the Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).

Esah Mahmod, 63, the head of this innovative project, explains that it all began in July last year, under the Komuniti@UniMADANI programme.

What started as a simple mushroom farming initiative has blossomed into an exciting local food venture, involving 10 participants, including two single mothers, who now play an integral role in this unique enterprise.

“At first, we only supplied fresh oyster mushrooms to local traders who sell celup tepung (fried battered) products around Kuala Nerus. But after discussions with UMT, we saw an opportunity to expand our reach by creating a new product—pekasam made from oyster mushrooms,” Esah shared, when met at Surau At-Taqwa, where the project is based.

The process of making pekasam from oyster mushrooms is surprisingly simple, but the results are extraordinary. Fresh mushrooms are washed, dried, torn into pieces, and mixed with salt, sugar, tamarind slices, and toasted rice before being left to ferment for two days. It’s a product that is not only tasty but also ideal for vegetarians and those with seafood allergies.

At the moment, production is on a small scale, with each kilogramme of fresh mushrooms yielding 10 packs of pekasam, sold at RM5 per 150-gramme pack.

Though still in its early stages, the project is slowly gaining attention as word spreads. Esah believes the product has enormous potential, especially with the support of UMT’s students and lecturers helping to promote it.

“We’ve made serunding from mushrooms in the past, and while it was delicious, the process was time-consuming and complicated.

“Pekasam is a much more efficient way to introduce mushroom-based products to the market,” Esah said, adding that the product is still in its promotional phase but gaining traction.

This venture is not just about food, it’s about empowerment. Funded with RM40,000 from the federal government, the oyster mushroom farming project has created a steady source of income for the women involved, most of whom are from the B40 group.

The farm, which started with 5,000 mushroom blocks across two premises at the surau, is now generating monthly earnings of RM700 to RM1,000 for the participants, including elderly women and single mothers.

“Not only does this project help boost our income, but it also brings the community together, with the surau members actively involved in its upkeep,” Esah added.

-- BERNAMA