A native woman selling the ubiquitous midin, a local fern picked from the wild, with her husband at Teku pasar Tamu in Sibu.
SIBU: While the prices of most vegetables are affected by inclement weather, the humble midin seems immune to market fluctuations caused by the vagaries of mother nature.
Sibu Vegetable Planters Association advisor Kong Hua Kuong said the price of midin – a local fern picked from the wild and used as a vegetable – has remained stable for years.
“We have been selling it at RM15 per kilo and the highest at RM18 a kilo. The price has stayed like this for many years despite good demand,” he said.
However, hawkers usually sell midin in a bundle of 50gm for RM2.
“Midin is one of the cheapest vegetables and most people like to eat it. When outsiders come to this town, they do not like to miss it either,” Kong added.
Kong, who has been selling vegetables at the Sibu central market for more than 40 years, however said supply of this pesticide-free vegetable has dwindled.
“Previously, there was quite a big number of natives harvesting it from the wild but now their number has decreased. We do not know why this is so,” he said.
Midin is an excellent source of iron, fibre, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Due to its short shelf life, it should be eaten on the same day after being harvested. Midin will turn black the next day even if kept in the refrigerator.
It is best served stir-fried with slices of garlic or with belacan (shrimp paste).
Midin can be found on the menu of most restaurants and coffee shops.
