By Dylan Book
Since we landed in Kuching three days ago, the Scouts here have been incredible with their welcome and hospitality. In Vancouver I am a Troop Scouter and love to go camping with my Scouts. While in Malaysia I’ve been especially interested in how Malaysian Scouts go camping and have fun, which is what this blog will focus on.
Malaysian Scouts seem to love dancing. When we were greeted by the Rover Scouts at a local technical school they entertained us with a dance they would often do at campfires. Afterwards, we were taught another dance by one of the local Scouters.
A big part of Malaysian Scouting is backwoods cooking or as they call it, “masakan rimba” or “jungle cuisine”. Their version of backwoods cooking involves using the bamboo that is plentiful in the Malaysian forests.
The Malaysian Scouts create a support structure over the fire that they can lean the bamboo against. The thicker bamboo shoots are filled with tasty chicken and vegetables, while the thinner shoots are filled with rice. The fire is controlled and spread about to create coals that will not ignite the bamboo containing the food.
I can’t wait to try this method of backwoods cooking with my Scouts in Vancouver. I’m sure they will enjoy both the way we cook it and the delicious food it will create.