No, I'm not a cannibal. Now that we've settled that, read on. =D
I went back to Kota Bharu (a small town north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) over the long weekend recently and the first stop right after leaving the airport was an old Malay coffee shop on Jalan Gajah Mati (Dead Elephant Road) to get our favourite childhood lunch - nasi sumatera with a HUGE side of fried paru-paru. I mean HUGE... Each piece cost RM3.50 and we bought 20 pieces! The stomach wants what it wants!
¯_(ツ)_/¯
It also comes served with a sweet, sour & spicy sauce of sorts comprising onions, lime pieces, cucumbers and cili padi. Combined, this delicacy makes your taste buds sing!
What is paru-paru? For those who has never tried this amazing "dish", it's fried cow lungs that has been cooked until it resembles beef jerky but with a softer and almost pillowy bite-down. Unlike beef jerky, paru-paru tastes AMAZING and it is ADDICTIVE! It tastes salty but has an interesting texture that makes you want to eat the next and the next AND the next piece.
_Paru-paru_originated from Indonesia but it has become a Malaysian favourite over the years and when you have this with a combination of rice, curried meat and vegetables, and possibly fried kampung chicken.... O. M. G... YumZ!
I've tried paru-paru in KL but it is not the same as they fry it until it's hard. Not the ones you get in Kota Bharu though, so hometown food is always the best, they say. Hee hee...
You want soft and delicious fried cow lungs, please go to Kota Bharu town, along Jalan Gajah Mati.
Trust me, it is worth it.
Your nasi sumatera will come wrapped in paper and held together by a NAIL! Yes, it is that fully packed!
Enjoy!