Special Luck-Bringing Milkfish

KOMPAS/LASTI KURNIA

A trader displays milkfish at a fish market on Jl. Sulaiman in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, Wednesday (22/1/2020). The milkfish are harvested from fish farms once a year, particularly ahead of Chinese New Year, or Imlek. Regularly priced Rp 65,000 to Rp 80,000 per kilogram depending on quality, the fish has seen a price hike of Rp 10,000 to Rp 15,000 per kg in January due to a shortage from the major flood at the beginning of the month.

At this time of year, milkfish is considered to bring good luck, especially when served during the Chinese New Year celebration.

One of the most sought-after things ahead of Chinese New Year is milkfish. People’s enthusiastic search for the fish can be seen in the flower market in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta. Fresh milkfish are displayed everywhere there. Sellers and buyers readily haggle to find the best price.

The flower market is filled with milkfish sellers ahead of Chinese New Year every year. The holiday seasonal milkfish weighing more than 1.5 kilograms can be sold at Rp 85,000 (US$6.23) per kg, more than the Rp 50,000 per kg for regular milkfish. “People buy milkfish for their parents and in-laws. The bigger the fish is, the more love it means,” seasonal milkfish seller Indah, 43, said on Tuesday (21/1/2020).

Not only do Chinese-Indonesian people buy the milkfish. Local Betawi people like Johan, 40, and Isnah, 38, do, too. “We have no Chinese blood but [having milkfish on Chinese New Year] is a family tradition,” Isnah said.

Before arriving at Rawa Belong, the milkfish are bought from fish collectors in Cilincing, North Jakarta. Demand for milkfish in Cilincing surges ahead of the holiday.

Milkfish collector Bachrudin, 34, for instance, is overwhelmed by demand, which can reach 1.5 tons a day ahead of Chinese New Year, far more than 500 kg to 700 kg on regular days.

Farmers’ hard work

The availability of milkfish in the market is thanks to the hard work of fish farmers in cultivating the fish. Fish farmer Saman, 46, of Muara Gembong in Bekasi, West Java, was busy throwing a net into his fishpond when Kompas met with him. Despite having caught several milkfish, he was disappointed with their small size.

Saman manages a 7-hectare fish pond that has around 2,000 milkfish. At first, he released around 4,000 seedlings into the pond but not all of them survived. Some were eaten by other fish, water snakes or birds.

To cultivate the milkfish, the father of seven has to maintain the water in the pond at a height of 1.5 meters in order to maintain the pond’s salinity. After one year, he caught 1,000 milkfish weighing a total of 3 tons to be sold ahead of Chinese New Year.

There, demand for the fish ahead of Chinese New Year increases by 30 percent.

Other than on the north coast of Jakarta and Bekasi, milkfish demand also rises in Semarang, Central Java. There, demand for the fish ahead of Chinese New Year increases by 30 percent.

Other than fish farmers, traders and collectors, milkfish also bring profit for souvenir sellers in Krobokan subdistrict, West Semarang. CV Home Industri Milkfish New Istichomah business owner Petrus Sugiyanto, 62, was busy packing bandeng presto (pressure-cooked milkfish) in boxes. “These milkfish are for souvenirs and for Chinese New Year,” he said.

In Makassar, locals also serve milkfish to complement other culinary dishes such as pallubasa (offal soup), buras (rice cake cooked with coconut milk), ketupat (rice cake) and nona-nona satay (often served during Idul Fitri).

“We open our doors to family members and relatives from various religious and cultural backgrounds during Chinese New Year,” said Hendra Salimin, 40, of Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Various dishes

In Jakarta, the presence of pindang bandeng (sweet and sour milkfish soup) in local Betawi food stalls near Rawa Belong is proof of the fusion between local and Chinese culinary tastes. “This is special ahead of Chinese New Year. The buyers are Betawi people and Chinese-Indonesians,” said Betawi local Ali in Rawa Belong.

Acculturation of Chinese culture in Indonesia is reflected not only in milkfish dishes. Various other meals such as pindang and various stews like tofu stew and dog fruit (jengkol) stew, which use a lot of soy sauce, are also proof of acculturation accepted widely in Indonesia.

KOMPAS/LASTI KURNIA

A trader carries a milkfish at a fish market on Jl. Sulaiman in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, Wednesday (22/1/2020). The fish has seen a price hike of Rp 10,000 to Rp 15,000 per kg in January from its regular price of Rp 65,000 to Rp 80,000 per kilogram, due to a shortage from the major flood at the beginning of the month.

In Tangerang, Banten, Benteng Heritage Museum founder and cultural observer Udaya Halim said he prepared for Chinese New Year by cooking pindang bandeng and ikan masak tauco (fish cooked with fermented soybeans). The latter dish is an adoption of ikan ceng coan, which has a flavor like kolak (sweet coconut milk stew) and with tauco added.

Udaya said that, in their everyday life, Betawi people in Tangerang adopted the ikan ceng coan menu, which is belanak fish (Bluespot mullet) cooked with palm sugar and tauco. The dish is popularly called ikan masak tauco.

In its development, many variations of milkfish dishes are served ahead of Chinese New Year.

Chinese cultural observer Aji Chen Bromokusumo said that, philosophically, fish means “more” in Chinese New Year.

Chinese cultural observer Aji Chen Bromokusumo said that, philosophically, fish means “more” in Chinese New Year. How come? This is because of a saying commonly recited during Chinese New Year, which means: there is always something more every year. In Mandarin, the saying goes: nian nian you yu. The “yu” part in the saying sounds similar to yu, which means fish.

Cultural fusion through dishes is among the strengths of Indonesia in weaving the nationalism spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

Other than soccer and music, food can also unite various cultures and people on the dining table, where they can eat together. The fusion of Chinese and Indonesian food cultures in proof. (SHR/VAN/DAN/NIK/DIT/REN/ONG)