Kelateh · Dispatches
From
Kelantan.
Short notes on the state's living culture — what's worth catching, what's changing, what makes Kelantan, Kelantan.
The beca still works in Kota Bharu
A ride at walking pace, past the shops you would drive straight through.
Akok, and the Kelantan sweet tooth
The state has a whole vocabulary of small sweet things. Here is where to begin.
Grilled fish on the coast, while the weather holds
Fish off the boat, banana leaf, charcoal, and a sea breeze. Best enjoyed before the rains arrive.
Five things worth catching in Kelantan right now
The living culture you can walk into this week — from the night market to the weekend arts arena.
Nasi dagang: the Kelantan breakfast worth waking up for
Kelantan's morning dish, and why the best stalls sell out before you have finished your coffee.
Visiting Kelantan during the monsoon
Rough seas and heavy rain on the coast, but the markets, museums, crafts and food never stop.
Inside a Kelantan batik workshop
The patient, hand-stamped craft behind the state's most wearable souvenir.
Pantai Cahaya Bulan, beyond the name
A working coast, not a resort strip, ten minutes from the city.
The wau bulan that flies on the fifty-ringgit note
A handmade kite that came to stand for a whole country.
Dikir barat, Kelantan's call and response
Two groups, a quick wit, and a rhythm the whole room joins.
Budu: the fermented soul of Kelantan cooking
One small bottle explains a lot about how Kelantan eats.
Getting to Kelantan, and the jungle railway
The fast way in, and the beautiful slow one.
Gasing: the giant spinning tops of the east coast
A palm-sized idea, carved heavy and spun by grown men in competition.