Though the words "paku uban" literally translates as "greying nail" in Bahasa Malaysia, but here in Sarawak, it refers to a particular edible jungle fern. Sarawak is known for its jungle ferns like midin and paku, amongst others. I supposed paku uban is lesser known to visitors compared to midin or paku.

Paku uban looks similar to the paku fern - long stemmed and curled up at the tip with small leaves along the stem. The only difference is that paku uban is thicker in size, has a buttery scent, and is covered with this white hairy mass (Hence, the name "uban" as in "grey hair" in the Malay language). Sorry, I don't have a photo of its raw form.

You are likely to find these sold at the local wet market, usually sold in a bunch. Market price can go between RM1 to RM4 per bunch depending where you go.

To prepare it, bend the stem to a point where it will snap naturally. Discard the lower end of the stem because it's too tough and fiberous to eat. The top end with the curled tip is crunchy when cooked. Remove the leaves and gently rub off the hairy bits of the stem (this part can be quite time consuming because you can easily break it). Thereafter, wash and rinse the paku uban to remove any dirt or hairy bits left on it. To cook the paku uban, blanched it in boiling water for a few minutes. Cooked paku uban itself is very bland and somewhat tasteless. Don't overcook it because it needs to be crunchy when you bite into it.

I'm not sure how many ways one can cook the paku uban. I only know one way which is how my parents prepared it.

I had a craving for it recently and my parents packed a paku uban kit of sorts and sent it along through my brother who was visiting. I got it yesterday: a container of cooked paku uban enough for four people, four limes (limau kasturi), blended dried shrimp, and a small container of homemade sambal belacan (similar blend to the ones used on the durian flowers mentioned not long ago). Oh, my dad also attached the recipe in case I forgot how to mix everything together.

I took half of the portion to eat last night. Putting the dish together is easy: Squeeze the lime into a plate or bowl. Remove the seeds as you just need the juice. Mix in some sambal belacan with the lime juice, followed by the dried shrimp. As for how much you should use depends on the portion of paku uban. And if you like it spicier, add more sambal belacan.

Then add in the paku uban and mix it all up well. Next, eat! Goes well with rice. Yum!