Not sure what to buy while in Tawau?
Ask the locals. Chances are they will tell you to buy Amplang. Sabah is well known for its fresh seafood and the locals have made it into a snack!
Amplang (also known as kerupuk kuku macanare) are basically seafood cracker balls that were originated from Tawau. It is commonly made of ikan tenggiri (wahoo) or any type of Spanish mackerel, molded into ball shapes and fried. The exterior of amplang is powdery, giving the crunchiness and fishy taste inside the mouth. The shapes and sizes of these snacks may vary from traditional elongated “tiger nails”, to dice, to ping-pong balls. The colours range from yellow to light brown.