Klungkung, Ancient Kingdoms

Have You Ever Savoured the ’’Preserved Fish’’ of Kusamba?

Have you ever heard about Kusamba Village? If you make a visit to the tourist object and attraction of Goa Lawah (Klungkung) or to Padangbai (ferry harbour to Lombok), you will pass through Kusamba Village. As a coastal village, its inhabitants are mostly fishermen. The village is situated merely 8 km from Semarapura or 2 km west of Goa Lawah, while from Denpasar, it will take you some hours drive.

Catches of the fishermen of Kusamba comprise a variety of fish, apart from being sold directly in the form of fresh fish, they are also processed to make pindang or preserved fish, pepes and lelanguan (traditionally processed fish and ready to serve).
Ni Wayan Serengkig, the local who does processing at the fish processing base of Kusamba Village says that the base has 72 units that were established in 1998 to process marine fish.
This woman from Bingin Hamlet, Kusamba Village said her party continues to make fish preservation from the catches of local fishermen. In keeping with the increase of demand of preserved fish, its raw materials is imported from Java and Lombok. Averagely, she now processes 30 baskets of fish into preserved ones. “On certain occasions, it even reaches 400 baskets,” she adds.
Tools utilized to process this preserved fish is a drum (200 litre), fireplace, kerosene stove that uses air pressure, 2 baskets (40kg), small tuna, 1 kg of salt and 30 litres of water.
Method of making preserved fish is as follows. First of all, water and salt are mixed together and poured into the drum. Then, the drum is put onto the fireplace and the fish is boiled for fifteen minutes. After being well done, the preserved fish is drained again in the previous bamboo basket. When cold, the preserved fish is conveyed and ready to sell.
A small tuna before being processed costs IDR 1,800 and after it costs IDR 2,000. This price is subject to change at any time, depending on market situation. To market this processed fish, brokers from the local village take it to markets around Klungkung, Karangasem, Gianyar and Denpasar. (BTN/033)