Travelholic: Terengganu | Kuih Gajah Mengamuk, a unique delicacy

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Terengganu | Kuih Gajah Mengamuk, a unique delicacy

Balik kampung ys synonym to fresh air, delicious kampung food and friendly neighbours.

Kampungstay in Alor Limbat, Marang provided just that, haze-free air, unique local delicacy and the ever so friendly kampung folks, and Jom Jelajah Koperasi Terengganu allow us to experience all these. When I first saw the itinerary, I went berserk; not like gajah mengamuk kinda berserk. More like ‘curious-weird-surprise-kening naik’ kinda berserk.

Aren’t you as curious as me? Don’t lie *smerk*.

Here’s the thing, the kuih looks nothing like a gajah (no. no.), no one need to mengamuk when making it (nothing will get done if this actually happens) and last but not least, it looks nothing like normal kuih you guys are imagining now (I bet you are imagining kuih made of dough kaaan? *eyes squinting* The answer is a fat big NO! Ahaks).

Kuih Gajah Mengamuk is a delicacy common to Alor Limbat residence, whereby the way it was made is by using hand wooden pestle or lesung tangan kayu to mash the boiled tapioca (add salt to taste) which later to be eaten with palm sugar syrup.

There are 2 stories on how the kuih gajah mengamuk got its name.

Running out of food and idea, a mother was finding ways to feed her hungry children. She boiled tapioca, mash it and it is to be eaten with palm sugar syrup resulting to no more hungry children *smile*. Gajah mengamuk or ran amok elephant dish symbolizes the hungry children fighting for food.
I was told that the sound made by the pestle hitting the base when mashing the tapioca sounded like an elephant amok-ing hence the name – kuih gajah mengamuk.

Well, whatever the name or how it derive from, it definitely taste yummeh. These unique delicacy is usually taken in the evening at around 4ish with hot tea or coffee. A masa-untuk-lepak kinda food for the locals.

I bet even the locals haven’t even heard of these delicacy; kuih gajah mengamuk.