* An Etok seller at Pasar Kubang Pasu. My observation tells me that only women sell Etok. Etok sellers usually placed their commodity on a nyiru, a tray made from woven bamboo or pandanus strips, with a piece of newspaper lined between to avoid dirtying the Nyiru.
Meet Mokcik Etok ! No. It's not her real name. I deliberately called her that for those tiny things she was selling for RM 1 per cup. Before you would guess it, those things are called " ETOK ".
Don't look in your Kamus Dewan. You probably won't find the meaning of the word since it is purely Kelantanese. Even if you did, either Kelantanese is a prevalent Malay Dialect ( he he.. ) or they probably had it misspelled as E - T - A - K. Yes. It's E - T - O - K, not E - T - A - K ( and do not get confuse with A - T - O - K .. he he )
That is how they say it in Kelantan ! ~ ETOK ~! Etok is a small, pebble-sized, freshwater corbicula clam which lives at the bottom of rivers and canals, alongside scavanging fishes and crustaceans. Mostly found in the shallows and sandy parts of the river, they are least known or simply neglected by most Malaysians. The Kelantanese in the other hand, are so used with Etok. Besides giving it the only name probably known to the Malays, they also have a different yet creative idea concerning Etok. They would pick the Etok out from the river, clean them thoroughly, and for a short while, marinate the molusc with a special combination of crushed shallot, ginger, garlic, lemon grass and salt. Then quickly and very lightly "roasted" over glowing charcoal or under the Sun, to be eaten raw as an enjoyable snack ! It's the Kelantanese version of SUSHI in case if you are still wondering what it is !
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