It was still 7am but the wet market on the bank of the Mukah river estuary was already busy with customers haggling prices with fishmongers and vegetable sellers. In one corner, several fishermen who just came back from their fishing trip out at sea had taken up seats to enjoy their morning beverage before the sun startsed to bear down on them.
Their catches were still on the boat. Some of them pick them up and lay them down at the wet market.
The catches were fresh from the sea, brought in by fishermen on boats of various sizes and colour.
The vegetables were also fresh from the farms picked by the farmers themselves.
It was definitely a unique experience in Mukah Wet Market as people could buy fresh fish and vegetables at the same place.
“We prefer to sell our fishes at the market. Some may come from other places in Sarawak, some from as far as Miri.
“Some of these are wet market operators in their respective areas trying to get fresh fish,” said a fisherman smoking a cigarette.
“They prefer to get our catches as they are fresh and not contaminated with chemicals that artificially make fish look fresh.”
The fisherman said a buyer from Brunei with fridges at the back of his pick-up used to come to Mukah to buy fish in large quantities to be sold in Brunei wet markets. He is no longer seen here as he may have found a nearer market such as Kota Kinabalu.
The long journey from Mukah to Brunei may have put off the buyer. It could take as long as eight hours to drive from Mukah to Miri.
Two Bruneians – Pg Hj Zainal and Pg Hj Mohamad – who visited Mukah said the fish were indeed fresh and there were plenty of varieties but there was no way they could buy and take them to Brunei.
They, however, bought a few varieties to be cooked at a nearby restaurant for their lunch.
Apart from fish and vegetables, they were also plenty of dried food.
Pg Hj Mohammad said he was looking for live sago worm or grub which is a special high-nutrient delicacy.
The grub is about four cm in length, white and plump with a dark brown head.
He took one grub and ate it. He said the grub burst in his mouth with a sound. He added it was juicy and delicious and he continued to purchase a few containers to be brought back to Brunei.
“The worms won’t die as they will consume the sago. Apart from being eaten alive, the worms can be fried,” he said.
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