The humble tenggiri now costs more than salmon in Malaysia, sparking nostalgia and surprise among locals on Reddit
SALMON may have long been considered the go-to premium fish, but the humble tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) has now overtaken it in price.
A recent Reddit post revealed tenggiri being sold at RM49.99 per kilogram, slightly above salmon at RM48.99.
Some users noted that salmon could be cheaper if farmed, while others joked about its bright orange colour being even more vibrant than a Mandarin orange.
Many expressed shock at the rising tenggiri price. A user from Miri, Sarawak, reminisced about childhood days when her parents would buy a whole tenggiri, lightly salt it, fry it, and serve it with chopped chilli soy sauce.
“It was only after moving to the Peninsular for study and work that I ate less because it became so expensive,” she said.
Another Redditor from Sabah noted that tenggiri there costs around RM25 per kilogram, half the price on the Peninsular.
“Sabah’s tenggiri is fresher. When I fry it in Semenanjung, there’s a strong fishy smell, but in Sabah it’s gone, and the meat stays juicy,” he commented.
Several users reflected on how they once took affordable tenggiri for granted.
“As a kid, my modest-income family could still make fish curry with it. Now, as an adult, it’s reserved for special occasions,” one shared.
