Italy and the Espresso Aroma

Passport & Plate - Hinava

Malaysia | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 3 photos

Ingredients
• 500g of fresh raw fish (Mackarel, Salmon, Trout, Torpedo Scad)
• 1 small-sized bitter gourd
• 8 large limes
• 2-3 large red onions
• 1 medium-sized young ginger (optional)
• 3 heaped tbsps of Bambangan (optional)
• 2 tbsps brown sugar
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Clean and debone the fresh raw fish before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Cook the fresh raw fish by rubbing in salt and squeezing the juice of the limes all over the fish. Leave to soak.

2. Cut and thinly slice the bitter gourd. Immerse in vinegar and brown sugar.

3. Dice or cut into strips the red onions and young ginger and Bambangan, if any.

4. Now mix the fresh raw fish mixture, soaked bitter gourd, red onions and ginger and Bambangan (if any). Toss and add pepper to taste. Serve cold with some Bambangan pieces on top to decorate.

Tip: Great to serve with hot rice, sweet potatoes and yams.

Note: In the pictures, I have gone without the young ginger, have sliced the red onions and diced the Bambangan. Fresh raw fish I have chosen is torpedo scad, although it strays from the typical white -fleshed fish, I love it that it is commonly found and eaten in Malaysia.

 

The story behind this recipe
Born in Hong Kong during the colonisation of the British, I was deemed a Hong Kong resident but a British National Overseas citizen. Oddly, my dad is Filipino and my mother Malaysian. In addition, my dad's career required him to move from city to city all over the world, and he uprooted our then small family wherever work was.
When I turned 14, my parents finally decided to settle in my mom's homeland , Sabah, Malaysia, and I went to one of the rural government schools. Schoolmates were curious on my multi background and always asked "What's your race/ethnicity?" to which I felt lost and silly since I could never really answer them.
One hot day, my friends introduced me to the local cuisines they liked at a newly opened restaurant of which I said I was game for a palate adventure. It was here that I chanced upon the dish locally known as Hinava. Upon asking my friends what it contained, and they told me it was generally raw fish with bitter gourd and sometimes Bambangan. This made it my first target as I loved bitter-sour tastes and sushi.
The sight piqued me as I saw the brightly colourful dish served before me. Digging a generous spoonful, I popped it into my mouth. As my tongue soaked up the flavours, the sense of my being flooded over me and my taste buds exploded at the refreshing taste! Boy, the Hinava was right on the money and the other dishes could not compete for my love for the dish.
After the meal, saying goodbye to my friends and reaching home, I looked up more on and asked around about Hinava and found there to be a variety of ways it could be prepared. The dish is not dissimilar to Ceviche in South America or Kinilaw in my dad's homeland of the Philippines. I learnt that a dish could be made quite similarly yet have different origins and the fusion unite cultures through a commonality. Hinava made me understand and accept my heritage. I finally had a sense of belonging. And this I love renewing over and over again over a quenching bowl of Hinava.