Sarawakian cuisine

Sarawakian cuisineis a regional cuisine ofMalaysia.  Similar to the rest ofMalaysian cuisine, Sarawak food is based on staples such as rice. There is also a great variety of other ingredients and food preparations due to the influence of the state's varied geography and indigenous cultures quite distinct from the regional cuisines of thePeninsular Malaysia.Sarawakis famous for its multi-ethnic population.As the homeland of many unique communities, Sarawak has a variety of cuisines rarely found elsewhere in Malaysia. The uniqueness of Sarawak well depends on its ethnic groups. Every native group inSarawakhas their own lifestyle, traditions, cultures and also foods. Sarawak cuisine is less spicy and has a subtle in taste. It uses fresh seafood and natural herbs like turmeric, lemongrass, ginger, lime and tapioca leaves. These ingredients are not only easily available, but also add a hint of aroma, texture and freshness to the delicacies. Food is one of the most cultural identities for native groups in Sarawak with each ethnic group having their own delicacies. Among the Iban, popular foods includetubu(stems),tuak(alcoholic beverage made from rice wine) andpansuh(dish cooked with bamboo). TheMalayhavebubur pedas(porridge) andkek lapis Sarawak(Sarawak layer cake); theBidayuhhaveasam siok(chicken rice cooked in bamboo) andsup ponas Bidayuh(soup dish made of tapioca). TheMelanaumaketebaloi(Sago palm crackers),sagu(extracted from Sago palm) andumai(raw fish mixed with lime juice) and theOrang Uluare known forgaram barrio(Highlands salt),kikid(broth),tengayen(local young leaves), andurum giruq(pudding).
Sarawak cuisine uses rice as a staple. It is most often steamed and always served with meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Rice is often enjoyed with the sauce or broth from the main dishes. Bario rice is a famous rice in Sarawak, which is named after the Sarawakian highlands where it is cultivated. It is regarded by the natives as the best and finest rice from the highlands of Sarawak. The rice, as per the natives, is known to be eaten only by the longhouse chief on special occasions although it is now available in Sarawak restaurants.  In Sarawak, rice is often fried.Nasi arukis a traditionalSarawakian Malaynasi goringor fried rice. Unlike commonnasi goreng,nasi arukdoes not use any oil to fry the rice. The rice must be fried for longer (compared to frying rice fornasi goreng) for the smokey/slightly burnt taste to absorb into the rice. Sago orsaguis the traditional staple food of theMelanau peoplein Sarawak. The bud of the sago palm is cooked as a traditional dish in Sarawak. The bud is sliced or cut up and often stewed with coconut milk and dried anchovies with spices.Linutor sago porridge is made by pouring boiling water into a bowl of sago starch. Normallylinutwill be served together with thesambal belacanand other side dishes. The texture is very gooey and sticky and mostly eaten with a wooden fork.Tebaloiis a Sarawak sweet cracker made from sago starch, egg, coconut and sugar, flattened until thin and roasted until crisp.Tetubeiis another sago dish in Sarawak. It is a traditional Melanau food made from sago starch.
A variety of fruits and vegetables is often used in cooking.Midin, also calledStenochlaena palustris,paku midin,orlemidin, is a popular vegetable in Sarawak. It is a sun-loving plant that thrives in open areas, usually on swampy land. Common habitats are disturbed forests, secondary forests, rubber gardens, oil palm plantations, river banks and roadsides.Midinis usually served in two ways – fried with either garlic orbelacan(shrimp paste). The most popular dish that usesmidinismidin goreng belacan.Buah dabai, orCanarium odontophyllumin the familyBurseraceae, is a native fruit from Sarawak that is used in cooking.Dabaiis grown exclusively on the island of Borneo, in the Rajang River basin of central Sarawak, from the interior areas of Kapit all the way out to Sibu and Sarikei on the coast. It is one of the unique foods of Sarawak. Thedabaifruit is slightly bigger than a kalamata olive, with a thin, bluish-black skin.Nasi goreng dabaiis a Sarawak speciality fried rice in which the main ingredient isbuah dabai. The rice is fried with soy sauce, garlic, shallot, chilli, oyster sauce along with dabai and accompanied by other ingredients, particularly egg. The combination of tomatoes, garlic (bawang putih), and onions is found in many dishes in Sarawak. The most important spice in Sarawakian cuisine is pepper. Pepper is commercially produced on an industrial scale as a cash crop, and the preferred choice by local cooks when heat is wanted in a dish. Granted geographical indication (GI) status by the Malaysian Intellectual Property Organisation (MyIPO), Sarawak black pepper is highly regarded by international culinary figures such asAlain Ducasse. Maize, pumpkins and yams are widely used in Sarawakian cuisine. Maize is grown around the same time aspadiwhile pumpkins around the tilled rice and maize fields. Yams are also grown on the peripherals ofpadifarms.
Meat staples include chicken, pork, beef, and fish. Seafood is popular as a result of the bodies of water surrounding the archipelago. Popular catches includesemah,ikan keli,baong,empuarahand prawns. Also popular are meat from deer, wild boars and even bears. Birds can be shot with blowpipes. Guns are not often used because cartridges are beyond the means of many indigenous people. Punai is another small bird the natives of Sarawak catch with sticky nets, and eat after roasting them over a small charcoal fire. Deep-fried punai is often available as part oflelapan(halal) inMiri. Jungle vegetables are found up the hills and down the valleys, and some even by the riverbanks picked out by ancestors of the natives. Palms likepantu,nipah,nibong,coconutandsagocontinue to be importantumbutorupahor shoots the indigenous people retain as delicacies. Native cuisine differs from other cuisines in its simplicity and directness of flavor. The use of wild ginger,daun bungkangand jungle leaves can bring subtle flavours to various dishes.
Commonly, cooking methods adopted in Sarawakian food aremenumis(stir frying),menggoreng(frying),bakar(grilling) andrebus(boiling). Each ethnic group inSarawakhas different styles of preparing, cooking, preserving and eating styles of food. The Orang Ulu, for instance, usegaram barrioto preserve meat, fish and vegetables, which is calledmengasam. The Iban cook and eatlulun, rice which is cooked in bamboo. Other than that, the traditional cooking methods of the Iban people are also calledpansohorpansuh, which is the preparation and cooking of food in bamboo tubes. Ingredients like poultry, fish, vegetables or rice are mixed with fragrant herbs like lemongrass, tapioca leaves andbungkangleaves (a species of myrtle from the Eugenia genus), then sealed within the bamboo tubes and placed directly over an open fire. The mixture needs to be stuffed into the bamboo logs and chopped tapioca leaves are stuffed at the opening of the logs. Cooking food this way will infuse it with aroma and flavour from the bamboo tubes while keeping it moist. Geographically, the large forest area and style of living have affected the ways native groups' traditional foods were created, prepared and cooked using natural resources. These food treasures, in turn, have contributed to the uniqueness of Sarawakian cuisine.
Popular dishes in the state include Sarawaklaksa,kolo mee,sayur midin belacan,tomato mee,linutandayam pansuh.The state is also known for itsSarawak layer cakedessert.Each ethnic group has its own delicacies with different styles of preparing, cooking, and eating food. However, modern technology has altered the methods of cooking native dishes. Examples of ethnic foods are Malaybubur pedas(porridge), the Ibantuak(rice wine) andmanok pansoh(bamboo chicken), Bidayuhasam siok(chicken rice)), Melanautebaloi(sagopalm crackers) andumai(raw fish mixed with lime juice), and Orang Uluurum giruq(pudding).The traditional food of Sarawak has been marketed as aculinary tourismproduct.
In September 2021, Sarawak Laksa was named the best dish in Asia according to readers' feedback onTasteAtlas.
Sarawak is notable for its rice; currently three varieties grown in Sarawak have been granted geographical indication status by MyIPO.Among the foods and beverages particular to Sarawak are:
Teh C Peng Specialis a popular local tea in Sarawak. Its name is derived from the local speak for iced (peng) tea (teh) withevaporated milk(C). This tea is an iced concoction of brewed tea, evaporated milk andgula apong(nirah palm sugar) syrup, carefully presented un-stirred in three or more layers.Originally fromKuching, its popularity has spread to other areas of Sarawak as well as neighbouring Sabah. The drink White Lady is also popular; it is a shaved iced concoction with evaporated milk, mango juice, longan and pineapple. Invented in 1975 by a Kuching hawker, multiple variations can be found in various hawker stalls throughout the city.
Tuakis a type of traditional alcoholic beverage in Sarawak's Dayak communities. It is made with glutinous rice or a mixture of fragrant rice and glutinous rice or just fragrant rice. The process of makingtuakinvolves fermentation of the cooked rice where the starch in the rice is converted into sugar, which is then fermented to produce alcohol. However, there is no accepted convention or definition on what constitutestuak.Tuakis essentially an alcoholic drink produced by fermenting anything that contains carbohydrates, as long as it is made in Sarawak by Sarawakians.Tuakis normally served as a welcoming drink to guests, and as an important component for ritual events and festive occasions likeGawaiand Christmas. Another type of a stronger alcoholic drink is calledlangkau, which contains a higher alcohol content because it is actually made oftuakwhich has been distilled over fire to boil off the alcohol, cooled and collected into containers. TheBidayuhalso use distilling methods to makearak tonok, a kind of moonshine. The Bidayuh in particular are known for their skill and expertise in brewingtuak: ingredients fortuakvariants include sugarcane (tepui),tampoi(a wild fruit with a sweet and tart flavour), pineapples and apples.Tepuiis an alcoholic drink which is quite similar totuak. Because it is made out of sugarcane juice, this alcoholic drink is both a smooth and soothing drink, compared totuakandlangkau. Normally, Bidayuh people drinktepuiright after dinner.
Kek lapis SarawakorSarawak layer cakeis alayered cakewith unique patterns of interlaced of tasty layers and variety of flavours. It is a specialty of theMalayin Sarawak that is served during festive seasons and special occasions. They are often baked for religious or cultural celebrations such asEid ul-Fitr,Christmas, birthdays and weddings. People in Malaysia practice an open house on feast days. A unique feature of Sarawak's open houses is the modern layeredcakes. Sarawak layered cake with its elaborate pattern and variety of flavours is not only popular among the locals but also among visitors as gifts or for one's own consumption.
The cake got its name from its multiple-layer taste and presentation; it must have at least two colours. Among the ingredients for making this cake are flour, butter or vegetable oil, milk, eggs and other ingredients required for the desired flavour.The mixture is thoroughly mixed either manually or using an electric mixer. Special moulds are used for the cake requiring an elaborate design and patterns to maintain the perfect layer thickness. The multiple layers and patterns are achieved by pouring thin layers of different flavoured batter on top of each one another before the cake is baked. Different bakers have different styles and presentations. Some have more elaborate patterns and designs, while others prefer a simple multiple-layer style.