Fish Prices Rise, Siomay Vendors Admit to No Longer Using Mackerel Exclusively

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The continuously soaring prices of mackerel fish raw material are compelling several siomay vendors to think creatively. The vendors admit to no longer using 100 per cent mackerel meat as the base ingredient for their dough. Wandi (56), a siomay vendor who has been selling for 25 years in the Cengkareng area, West Jakarta, is one example. Wandi previously worked as a seller for a siomay entrepreneur who regularly bought mackerel from Muara Angke, North Jakarta. However, after about 10 years of running his own business, he claims he can no longer afford to use mackerel fully as the raw material. According to Wandi, this situation often leads other vendors to switch to using sapu-sapu fish meat. “If using sapu-sapu, I’ve heard some sell it for Rp25,000 or Rp35,000, whereas mackerel can reach nearly Rp100,000. That’s quite a difference,” said Wandi. A similar admission was made by Angga (31), a siomay vendor in the Kemanggisan area, Palmerah, West Jakarta. Angga states that his siomay also does not use 100 per cent mackerel meat, but instead mixes it with tuna. According to Angga, mixing mackerel and tuna meat is one of the most efficient ways to cut costs amid the high price of mackerel. This method is considered able to maintain the taste and texture of siomay to keep it quality. “So the price doesn’t go up either; people’s standard for siomay is Rp10,000 per portion, and it still is now, no increase,” he said.