What is Midin?
Midin refers here to a cooked vegetable made with young climbing-fern shoots. The connected plant is Stenochlaena palustris, also known through Kalimantan food names such as kalakai. The culinary connection with Sarawak is strong, but the plant’s range extends beyond the state.
The young part matters. A plate of curled shoots is different from mature fern fronds, and neither a local food name nor this article is a safe identification guide for collecting wild plants.
Sources & references · 2
Sarawak Tourism Board · 5 outstanding tribal dishes in SarawakNParks · Stenochlaena palustrisFlavour and texture
Sarawak’s tourism account highlights the crunchy, juicy texture retained by stir-frying. Garlic versions let the vegetable and aromatics lead; belacan adds a concentrated shrimp-paste flavour and may be combined with chilli. The contrast is useful when choosing a vegetable to accompany Ayam pansuh.
Midin is best understood through that combination of ingredient and technique. Cooking can soften the shoots, while a quickly stir-fried serving emphasises their bite. A salad or differently seasoned version should be treated as its own preparation rather than assumed to taste like midin belacan.
Sources & references · 1
Sarawak Tourism Board · 5 outstanding tribal dishes in SarawakAt the table
Midin appears as a rice-table vegetable in Sarawak’s food descriptions. Ask which preparation is available and whether shrimp paste or other animal ingredients are used. A vegetable-based dish is not automatically vegetarian, and belacan is relevant to shellfish allergies.
Buy or eat properly identified food through a knowledgeable supplier or kitchen. Roadside collection mentioned in travel writing is not a recommendation to gather your own shoots, and availability may change with local supply.
