Kuala Selangor - The Keropok Factory

Family business means that every member is involved in the work as seen here at a local keropok (fish crackers) factory

Walking by the town of Pasir Penambang you'll likely pass many small shops selling a variety of seafood products. As Pasir Penambang is a fishing village the sight of ships heading into Sg Selangor or down stream to the sea is a daily occurrence. Most often the shops are small and are family run, including fresh fish products, dried seafood, crackers and more. One shop that I chanced upon was for a keropok making shop. Outside the shop, rows and rows of wafer shaped crackers were placed on strung netting out to dry while walking inside a hive of activity was present. The entire family was busy getting the day's production packed into individual packaging. The family patriarch sits on his old reclining chair and supervises as his wife, children and relations busily sorted the strewn crackers on the floor. Within this small store is all the necessary facilities needed to live and do business under the same roof. In one corner is the kitchen where meals are prepared, a small desk couples as the accounting desk as well as the area where the small kid was busy doing his homework when he is not busy helping the family with work. At the back is the machinery room where the fish paste is kneaded and formed into the huge rolls of fish cakes that will later be steamed before ultimately sliced into the thinner wafers. All in all, everything is done under one roof and later shipped to the nearby stores for sale or sent to other major cities.

The steamed keropok prior to being sliced

Kid packing finished keropok udang for sale, Pasir Penambang

Keropok left to dry in the sun, Pasir Penambang