Otak-otak is a popular food item for many in Southeast Asia. The slightly charred leaves open up to reveal a tangerine coloured delicacy that has stood the test of time. Otak-otak is usually made using meat from the Spanish Mackerel fish, although there are other variations of otak-otak which include sotong, fish head and crab. Growing up, this was one of my favourite snacks and I would frequently head to the bakery near my house to buy some. Tucked quietly at the back was the otak-otak griller that would transform the exterior of fresh-looking banana leaves into a beautiful shade of brown, resembling the process of a leaf changing colours during fall.

A Past in Promotions
Otak-otak was once the star in promotional photos for the Singapore Tourism Board.

Of Those Behind The Grill

Otak-otak being sold by itinerant hawkers along bus interchanges or MRT stations used to be a common sight in Singapore. One could decide how many to purchase, and a bag filled with piping hot otak-otak would be handed over.

Mr Peter Tan was a prominent otak-otak seller and supplier in the 1980s. He would supply up to 350 stores with his Indonesian otak-otak recipe.

The most important equipment in this business is the otak-otak griller. Vendors would slap a few otak-otak on and flip them based on their instincts. The one used here is a Japanese griller, which is smokeless and became widely used in Singapore from the late 1980s.

Many who sell otak-otak now do it in conjunction with a main business. This uncle mainly sold rojak but the otak-otak griller fronts the stall, enticing customers to add another item to their rojak order.

Traveling across the border into Malaysia, one can still find otak-otak sold by street vendors. In Melaka, the otak-otak sold is sometimes supplied from Muar, a town famous for the quality and taste of their otak-otak.

The Business of Packaging

Due to the Movement Control Order in Malaysia, Singapore received low imports of banana leaves. In April 2020, this stall which sold otak-otak put up notices informing customers that they would receive their otak-otak in a takeaway box without the banana leaf.

Banana plants are one of the most widely grown flora on our island. I was reminded of the dependency we have on imports, even for banana leaves, every time I pass by yet another of these plants.