Culture In Kelantan

State of Kelantan is known to be the cradle of Malay culture based on their diverse cultural activities practised by Kelantanese. Among the popular cultural practices are Wayang Kulit, Mak Yong, Menora, Dikir Barat, Wau Bulan (kite-flying), Gasing (top-spinning), Silat, and handicrafts.

Dikir Barat

Dikir barat  is a musical form, native to the Malay Peninsular, it involves singing in group, usually during competitive setting. Dikir barat mostly performed either with percussion instrumental accompaniment, or with no instruments at all.

Wayang Kulit

In English Wayang means Shadow while Kulit means Skin. Often local people name it as Puppet Theater, It is a unique form of theater employing only light and shadow.  The origin of puppets are crafted using buffalo hide and mounted with bamboo sticks. The shadows are cast on the screen When held up behind a piece of white cloth, using an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source. Often the tales adaptations based from romantic tales from Indian epics, the Mahabrata or local secular stories.

Mak Yong

Mak Yong is a traditional form of dance derived from Kelantan-Pattani mythology. Sadly it was banned by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party in 1991 due to animist and Hindu-Buddhist roots which pre-date Islam in the Asian region. Mak Yong's singing and musical are unique as most of the traditional dances were influenced by India, Java and other parts of Southeast Asia. The performance usually followed by dancing, acting and improvised dialogues, with stories presented of three hour performances over few nights. With not many young people kin to undergo the rigorous apprenticeship so the art is now on declining rate.

Menora

It is a type of dance drama famous at south Thailand practised mainly in the northern states of Malaysia and southern provinces of Thailand.In the northeastern state of Kelantan and Terengganu, Menora incorporates much use of Malay language and a Mak Yong-style dance movements. It is performed in a mixture of Thai and local dialects, but adheres to the invocation-play in a distinctly north Malaysian style and incorporates some elements. Performances include a lengthy invocation, a dance by the main character, and a play or skit by following slow rhythmic movements of legs, arms and fingers.

Wau Bulan (kite-flying) A complicated designed Malaysian moon-kite (normally with floral motifs) and traditionally flown by men in the state of Kelantan. There are many types of wau in Malaysia, each with its own specialty. Wau kucing (cat kite) and wau merak (peacock kite) are some of the variants.

Gasing (top-spinning)

A top is a toy designed to be spun rapidly on the ground, the motion of which causes it to remain precisely balanced on its tip because of inertia. Traditionally tops were constructed of wood, sometimes with an iron tip, and would be set in motion by aid of a string or rope coiled around its axis which, when pulled quickly, caused a rapid unwinding that would set the top in motion. Today they are often built of plastic, and modern materials and manufacturing processes allows tops to be constructed with such precise balance that they can be set in motion by a simple twist of the fingers and twirl of the wrist without need for string or rope.

Silat

It is a Malay art of self-defense, generally practiced as a martial art or accompanied by drums as a ceremonial display or dance.









Handicrafts
Among famous handicraft products are on sell are songket, batik, silverware and mengkuang. Tourist can purchase the goods at local market or free trade zone located at border between Kelantan and Thailand, to name few that is Rantau Panjang, Tumpat and Pengkalan Kubur.

Choices of Food at Kelantan

Local Dishes

Nasi Dagang:

This is a mix of white rice and brown glutinous rice which is cooked with coconut milk, blended onions, garlic and some spices (such as fenugreek) (halba). Fish or chicken curry is usually a complementary dish, together with a mild brown sugared sambal (chili paste).

Nasi Kerabu:

Nasi Kerabu literally means "rice salad". Kelantan has a variety of nasi kerabu. Nasi kerabu biasa ("normal"), putih ("white"), hitam ("black", though the actual color is blue after the flower used as colouring in the recipe) and kuning ("yellow"), for the turmeric used in the cooking process). Each kerabu is usually served with a matching, traditional sambal. The kerabu (salad) itself can be any combination of vegetables or edible leaves. It is also served with fried breaded fish, keropok keping (see below), salted egg, solok lada (chillies stuffed with minced fish and grated coconut), and pickled garlic. Importantly, a sauce called budu must be included for the dish to qualify.

Nasi Tumpang:

Rice packed in a cone-shaped banana leaf. A pack of nasi tumpang consists of an omelette, meat floss, chicken and/or shrimp curry and sweet gravy. It is traditionally meant for travellers.

Ayam Percik:

Wood-fire broiled chicken dressed with sweet coconut gravy. Ayam golek/ayam percik is eaten with white rice in major family dishes and is served during feasts

Nasi Berlauk:

A popular breakfast food for the Kelantanese. Nasi berlauk is rice served with fish or chicken and vegetables cooked with turmeric and galangal infused yellow gravy.

Nasi Ulam:

Ulam is the local term for raw vegetables - the meal consists of white rice served with a variety of raw vegetables, and is one of the healthier dishes found in Malay cuisine.

Keropok:

These are Kelantanese crackers and can be made from fish, prawns or squid. The way they are made is similar to keropok gote, but after they are steamed or boiled and thinly sliced and dried for storage or further cooking.

Keropok Lekor:

These are Kelantanese fish sausages. Made by combining fish flesh and sago or tapioca flour, keropok lekor is rolled into long firm sticks and then steamed or boiled. To enjoy it, one has to cut it into desired bite sized and deep fried. It is a popular schoolchildren's snack food.

Laksa Kelantan:

The laksa dish, white noodles served with gravy (curry or otherwise) and vegetables, is made differently in every state in Malaysia. The laksa in Kelantan is richer and has a more full-bodied flavour. The main ingredient is fish flesh. Laksam is another version, with a thicker noodle (similar to kuey teow). Laksa or laksam is served with ulam similar to that in nasi kerabu, with a pinch of salt and belacan, a fermented shrimp paste.

Thai-influenced Dishes
Somtam:

Somtam is a green papaya salad with a salty, spicy, and sour taste. The main items in it are young, unripe papaya, soy sauce, groundnuts, fish sauce, lime juice, and chilies. These items are combined in a mortar, pounded with a pestle for few seconds and served. The salty and lime juicy taste is very popular. This light dish is widely available in regions with large numbers of ethnic Thais, such as Tumpat and Siamese wats. 

Colek:

Contrary to popular belief, Colek is not just a dipping sauce, but can also refer to a snack eaten with the sauce. Colek comes in various forms, including meaty cholek, colek ayam (chicken), colek perut (cow tripe), colek pelepong (cow or lamb lung; usually fried plain), and also a variety of colek buah(fruits; usually unmatured, thus crunchy and taste sour) such as colek pauh (mango).
The sauce or "the colek" comes in various forms. • Colek manis (with brown sugar). • A sweet, sour and very mildly hot version. This colek is different from other chili sauces because colek is very thin and rather sweet. This dipping sauce is used for chicken, and also goes well with shrimp, fish cake, spring roll, sausage, etc.

Budu:

Budu is a salted (fermented) anchovy sauce eaten mainly as flavouring with rice, grilled fish and vegetables/salads (ulam). A bit of lime juice,
hot chilis and shallots are added on for taste. Also, tempoyak (fermented durian) or fresh durian is added for good measure.
Once so combined, the purple-brownish condiment has a blend of salty and sour taste. Sometimes, budu is used in cookings as part of the ingredient

Tempoyak:

Tempoyak is a fermented durian dip, used with normal white rice. Most unforgettable is eating the 'tempoyak+budu+ulam'.
Those with high blood pressure should beware of the high salt content of this condiment, however.

Phat Phet:

Another famous Thai dish is 'phat phet belut'. The main ingredient of this cooking is eel. Many Thai restaurants around Tumpat and Wakaf Bharu make this dish their main attraction. Some customers prefer it spicy, and some prefer it less spicy. This dish is not easy to cook; it needs some experience in handling the heat, natural ingredients, salt, and the eel itself. This dish is also influenced by Chinese cuisine, for whom there is a belief that eating this exotic food is more healthy.

Introduction

Kelantan Darul Naim or local people name it as "Land of Lightning" which located in the north-eastern corner of the peninsula. Kelantan is an agrarian state with lush paddy fields, rustic fishing villages and casuarina-lined beaches. Darul Naim consist of 10 administrative jurisdictions, namely are Kota Bharu, Tumpat, Pasir Mas,  Pasir Puteh, Bachok, Kuala Krai, Machang, Tanah Merah, Jeli, and Gua Musang.

Government

 • Sultan Sultan Muhammad V

 • Menteri Besar Ahmad Yaakob (PAS)

Language:

 • Kelantanese Malay dialect

Build Up Area

 • Total 15,099 km2 (5,830 sq mi)

Population (2010)

 • Total 1,459,994

 • 95% Malay, the rest is Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Orang Siam(Thai people)

 • Density Bad rounding here97/km2 (Bad rounding here250/sq mi)

Extra Information

• Postal code 15xxx to 18xxx

• Calling code (09)

• Vehicle registration (D)