Free, fresh and fulfilling fern

Lunch at the park.

A small basketful of Miding

 It is one of my favourite food at the park.  It is free, fresh and fulfilling.  This morning I collected the 'Miding' ferns ( Stenochlaena palustris) in ample quantities for a decent lunch (see inset).  These ferns grow wild and naturally in damp areas near the Kruak wetlands.  The quantity I collected this morning would have cost me RM 2 if I were to buy it at the local 'tamu' ( jungle produce market).  The miding ferns have first of all to be fried with the famous shrimp paste of Bintulu called 'belachen' in the local Melanau dialect ( Belacan - Malay) .   The paste is pounded with other ingredients like anchovies, red chillies etc. Once fried you need to consume the freshly cooked miding  with hot rice and perhaps a little fish meat. That's the fun of it.  Quick to get, quick to eat.  Very fulfilling. Thanks to nature.

Free, fresh and fulfilling fern.