Lemang

Lemang (Minangkabau: lamang) is an Indonesian traditional food that made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, it is cooked in a bamboo stick with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. It is commonly found in Maritime Southeast Asian countries, especially Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. The Minahasan version of this dish is known as Nasi Jaha, which is cooked in the same method.

Lemang
Lemang being cooked in hollow bamboo pieces
Alternative namesLamang
Place of originIndonesia[1][2]
Region or stateMaritime Southeast Asia
Main ingredientsGlutinous rice, coconut milk

The bamboo contains glutinous rice, salt and coconut milk that is placed onto a slanted position besides a small fire with the opening facing upwards. It should be turned regularly in order to ensure the rice inside the bamboo is cooked evenly. The cooking process takes about 4–5 hours.

Lemang is commonly eaten to mark the end of daily fasting during the annual Muslim holidays of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha,[3] Lemang is popular in countries such as Brunei, and originated from Malaysia.[4]

The cooking method using a bamboo container is common among several ethnicities including Minang, Malay, Minahasa, Dayak and Orang Asli tribes.[5][6][7]

Iban people usually prepare lemang for celebrations such as the harvest festival of Hari Gawai, lemang is usually eaten with meat dishes such as chicken curry. The cooking process used in making lemang for many different meats, also known as "pansoh/pansuh" by indigenous Dayak communities.[8]

History and origin
burn lemang

Lemang or Lamang (Minangkabau spelling) is a traditional food which consists of lemang and glutinous rice or tapai that are used in various traditional ceremonies of Minangkabau, mainly in West Sumatra, Indonesia. However, lemang are also known as traditional foods of other tribes or regions in Southeast Asia, and their cooking method is still very ancient and depends on the state of nature. These two points show that lemang can be used as historical evidence for ancient human life in Southeast Asia, which is Proto-Malay and Deutero-Malay. Minang people believe that cooking technique of lemang was first introduced by Sheikh Burhanuddin. Lemang is incomplete if it is not eaten together with tapai, so they are likened to a man and a woman by Minang people. Lemang itself describes the togetherness of Minang people because its making process is always done together. There are several taboos that must be obeyed in making lemang and tapai. Lemang are also used as gifts when visiting other people’s homes, for example, when visiting in-laws or manjapuik marapulai ceremony. However, there is no symbolic meaning behind the obligatory existence of lemang at traditional ceremonies. On the other hand, lemang and tapai are famous for their unique taste produced by the chemical components in their ingredients. In this article, the origin of lemang and tapai, the philosophy and presentation of lemang in the traditions of the Minangkabau people, and the flavor features of lemang and tapai from a scientific perspective are discussed.

  • Cutting the hollowed bamboo to retrieve the lemang inside
  • A piece of Lemang

See also


References
  1. Eda Erwina (2014-05-08). "Lemang, Cerita Tradisi Malamang Dari Sumatera Barat". Merdeka.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  2. "Lemang". Tribunnewswiki.com (in Indonesian). 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  3. Cecil Lee (September 22, 2009), "Travel Snapshot – Celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri With Lemang", Travel Feeder
  4. Bahrum Ali; Bandar Seri Begwan (September 8, 2009), "'Lemang' stalls are found everywhere", The Brunei Times, archived from the original on December 10, 2015
  5. Ivor Hugh Norman Evans (1968), The Negritos of Malaya, p. 59, ISBN 9780714620060
  6. Geoffrey Benjamin; Cynthia Chou (2002), Tribal Communities in the Malay World: Historical, Cultural, and Social Perspectives, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, p. 149, ISBN 9789812301666
  7. An encyclopædia of gardening: comprising the theory and practice ..., Volume 1 By John Claudius Loudon, Mrs. Loudon (Jane)
  8. "'Ayam pansuh' — A Sarawak exotic delicacy loved by many", Malay Mail Online, June 28, 2015, retrieved July 14, 2016
  • Media related to Lemang at Wikimedia Commons
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