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Calling pucuk paku and midin the same thing is a mistake even seasoned Malaysian foodies make
Truth is, these two ferns might look like siblings, but they come from completely different species, each with its own unique texture and flavour.
For Sarawakians, midin isn't just a vegetable; it's a taste of home. Ask anyone from Kuching, Sibu, Miri, or any other part of Sarawak, and they'll tell you nothing beats a fresh wok of midin belacan or midin goreng bawang putih.
The crunch, the aroma, that little sweet-briny hit? It's legendary.
So, what exactly is midin?
Midin (Stenochlaena palustris) is a wild fern that grows freely along riverbanks and jungle trails in Sarawak.
You'll spot it by its dark, slender stalks and distinctive curled tips, those tightly coiled green heads that look like mini springs.
What makes it so tasty is its texture. Even after cooking, midin stays crisp, giving that addictive "snap" with every bite.
It tastes slightly sweet with a gentle briny note, and when stir-fried with belacan or garlic, it releases a subtle toasted aroma known as the allicin kick.
In fact, it's become such a prized local ingredient that restaurants outside Borneo have started flying it in, sometimes fetching up to RM30 to RM40 a kilo.
Then what about pucuk paku?
If you're from Peninsular Malaysia, you're probably more familiar with pucuk paku (also sometimes called paku pakis or pucuk ikan), the fern that stars in classic kampung dishes like pucuk paku goreng sambal belacan or masak lemak cili api.
It's lighter green, with softer fronds and sometimes a few tiny leaves clinging to its stem.
When cooked, it wilts quickly and has a mild, grassy taste that's comforting and familiar, but without the signature crunch that midin is famous for.
Side by side, midin and pucuk paku may look similar when raw, but their cooked personalities couldn't be more different
One stays glossy and snappy, while the other turns tender and silky.
The confusion mostly comes down to names and geography. Some people call midin "pucuk midin", which naturally makes others assume it's part of the paku family.
And since both have curly green shoots, it's easy to lump them together if you're not from Sarawak.
In fact, midin rarely grows naturally in the Peninsular, so most West Malaysians have never actually seen or tasted it.
For many, it's one of those "you have to fly across the South China Sea to try" kind of dishes. But it's said to be slowly gaining popularity.
Once seen as a cheap kampung vegetable, midin has grown into a source of pride and profit for Sarawakians
The state's Minister of Agriculture, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, once called midin and paku "God's gift", saying they thrive without cultivation and can be harvested easily after rain.
"People step on them and don't realise their worth. You don't even have to plant them. After the rain, you get another batch," he said.
With rising interest in local produce and sustainable farming, these jungle ferns are being reimagined as eco-friendly crops that reflect Sarawak's rich biodiversity.
Here's how to tell paku midin and pucuk paku apart at a glance
- Colour: Midin is darker green with smoother stalks, while pucuk paku is lighter and sometimes fuzzy.
- Texture: Midin stays crisp after cooking; pucuk paku softens.
- Shape: The curl of midin is tighter and rounder, almost spring-like.
- Taste: Midin has a sweet-briny, toasted garlic note; pucuk paku is milder and more "leafy".
So, the next time you order stir-fried ferns…
Take a closer look before you dig in. If it's dark, glossy, and still crunchy after a few bites, chances are you're eating midin, Sarawak's pride and joy.
If it's tender and mellow, that's your trusty pucuk paku.
Either way, both are proof that Malaysia's jungles have been serving up gourmet greens long before farm-to-table became a trend.
