Caged patin (Pangasius Sutchi) is the favourite of the Malay community especially in west Pahang such as in this district, which is dubbed patin fish town, when it is cooked in durian paste (tempoyak).

But, now it is no longer the dish of choice for the Malays, as expatriates have also developed a fondness for it.

A river caged fish entrepreneur in Kampung Lebak near here Wan Mohd Sofian Wan Husain, 53, said foreign embassy staff such as from the Bangladeshi, Kenyan, German and Polish embassies often visited his stall to buy 40 to 50 caged patin with each purchase.

"Almost monthly, embassy staff turn up to buy an average of RM700 to RM800 worth of patin at my stall.

"They also buy other cage-reared fish such as tilapia, 'baung' and catfish but patin is at the top of their list. They buy the caged patin for cooking with durian paste," he told Bernama when met at his stall in Kampung Lebak near here yesterday.

Wan Mohd Sofian, who had been rearing patin in cages for the past seven years, said the embassy personnel learnt about his products via information on Facebook which he uploaded himself for marketing purpose. -- Bernama