Ulat Mulong

Ulat mulong a.k.a siyet is Melanau's favourite dish and it's commercial name is Sago worm.

One of the favorite delicacies for the locals and it is rich with protein. It was considered as an alternative to rice during the World War II in Sabah and Sarawak.


If you have the opportunity to visit Pasar Minggu Satok, you might come across the fatty worm selling by the farmers. This worm is known as ulat mulong or sago worm or grub, a famous delicacy in Sarawak.

According to some people, to cultivate this ulat mulong, the sago palm will be fell and purposely left to rot. This rotten palm wills soon invaded by the ulat mulong weighted up to 8 gram per ulat mulong.

Ulat mulong believe to contain 3-7 % of protein, 10-30% fat and the rest is water. In Sarawak, Sibu is the heaven for this delicacy especially Mukah.

Ulat mulong if leave matured will turn into the beetle, a family of Rhinchophoridae or large weevils.

This worm or grub is the larvae of the Capricorn Beetle (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus bilineatus). It lives and feeds on the starchy pulp of the trunk of the sago palm or other starch bearing tree palms. Mulong is regarded as a special high-nutrient delicacy among most Sarawak tribes and can be bought in most markets in Sarawak for about 5 mulongs for RM1.

Sago worms have a plump, yellowy-cream body with a soft-ridged texture and a hard-shelled head. On close examination the body can be seen to be covered by fine hair.

Fried sago worm

BBQ sagu worm

Sago grubs taste like meat and are often smoked/roasted or fried.

KUCHING - 28 Februari 2011 : The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) has come up with prototypes of sago worm-based products that help in hair growth.


They found the oil contained high palmitic acid and oleic acid, two types of fatty acids, normally used in cosmetic products, she said.

These prototypes ranging from hair shampoo and conditioner to massage oil were put on public display for the first time at a herb expo at the Sarawak Foundation here over the weekend.

SBC information officer Asha Kaushal said the centre’s lab researchers started collecting sago worms for oil extraction last November.

“The centre just produced the prototypes a few weeks ago. We added some essential oils like peppermint, pahkak, nilam, tumeric, olive and coconut to enhance its scent,” she told Star Sarawak yesterday.

Sago worms (ulat mulong) or Rhynchophrus schach are eaten either raw or cooked as a delicacy among the Melanaus.

The Melanaus called the worms ‘si’et’ and they used its oil to promote hair growth.

“To extract the oil, the folk stirfry the worms in a wok until the oil comes out,” said Asha.

“The oil is then poured into bottles to be sold at the market in Mukah. People buy the oil to enhance hair growth,” she explained.

The expo was jointly held by the Sarawak Foundation and Sarawak Federation of Women’s Institute (SFWI) in conjunction with the federation’s seminar on creativity and innovation.

Nota Tambahan :


Hukum Memakannya :

“. . .Bahawasanya telah dinashkan oleh ulama atas bahawasanya tiap-tiap ulat, dan jika ada ia suci pada ketika hidupnya sekalipun, HARAM memakan dia.” (Syaikh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari, ulama besar pengarang kitab “Sabilal Muhtadin” dengan jelas pada juzuk 1 halaman 38)

Pengecualian

Walaubagaimanapun masih ada pengecualian pengharaman ini (dari pendapat ulama Syafie)
Yang diistisna` (dikecualikan) hanyalah ulat yang terwujud dalam cuka atau buah-buahan yang sukar hendak dibezakan apa lagi untuk dibuang, yang dimakan bersama-sama cuka atau buah-buahan tersebut (yakni lebih tepat diistilahkan sebagai “termakan bersama-sama iaitu yang dimakan adalah buah sedangkan ulatnya ikut termakan sekali”. Jadi menjadi satu syarat yang ianya dimakan bersama – sama buah tersebut kerana sukar hendak dibezakan dan dibuang. Jika ulat-ulat tersebut boleh dipisahkan dari buah-buahan, maka tetaplah hukumnya haram dimakan. (Sumber: kitab-kitab fiqh mu’tabar dalam mazhab seperti “Minhajuth Tholibin” halaman 130 dan 132 serta syarahnya pada “Tuhfatul Muhtaj” juzuk 9 halaman 369 dan 445)