DUNGUN, Dec 24 — While Negeri Sembilan is well known for its smoked food products such as beef, catfish and duck, an elderly man in Dungun has introduced a unique alternative by venturing into smoked buffalo meat.
Tuan Zahari Tuan Lasan, 63, from Kampung Belimbing in Hulu Dungun near here, said he began the smoked buffalo meat business about two years ago after coming up with the idea of offering a different take on dishes based on smoked products.
He said his product is now increasingly well received, especially among lovers of traditional Malay dishes such as masak lemak cili api, rendang, masak kicap and sambal tumis.
More interestingly, Tuan Zahari maintains traditional methods in the smoking process to produce an authentic smoky flavour, while emphasising meticulousness to ensure the quality of the buffalo meat.
“I use traditional methods in the preparation process, such as firewood from leban trees, while the racks for smoking the meat are built from bamboo.
“The shed that is built is open to allow the smoke to escape, ensuring the smoking process runs well and preventing excessive smoke build-up,” he said when met at his home in Kampung Belimbing here.
He added that he first selects and purchases fresh, high-quality frozen buffalo meat before cleaning it and marinating it with salt to enhance the flavour.
After that, the buffalo meat is sun-dried to reduce its moisture content, followed by the smoking process on racks for eight hours.
He said the smoked buffalo meat prepared at his home is then sent to his processing factory in Bandar Al-Muktafi Billah Shah near here, where it is sliced using machines to ensure uniform thickness before being packaged for the market.
“The smoked buffalo meat, once sliced, is packed into 200-gramme packets each.
“Smoked buffalo meat not only lasts longer compared to fresh buffalo meat, but its smoky aroma and firm texture also provide a distinct satisfaction to fans of traditional cuisine,” he said.
Currently, he processes up to 1,000 kilogrammes of smoked buffalo meat each week to meet the growing customer demand.
Meanwhile, Tuan Zahari’s daughter, Nor Fadilah Amalina, 32, said she helps her father market the product through digital platforms, including TikTok and Shopee, to expand market reach and increase customer access nationwide.
“I sell the smoked buffalo meat on digital platforms at RM20 per packet, with sales reaching up to 1,000 packets per week,” she said.
Nor Fadilah Amalina said next year she is targeting higher sales growth, including expanding the market for the product overseas. — Bernama
