What is "lemang"

Lemang is a traditional food made of glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. It is commonly found in maritime Southeast Asian countries, especially Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The bamboo tube containing glutinous rice, salt and coconut milk is placed slightly slanted on a small fire with the opening facing upwards and should be turned regularly in order to make it evenly cooked. It takes about 4–5 hours to cook lemang.

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

The cooking method using a bamboo container is common among several ethnicities including Malays, Minang, Minahasa, Dayak as well as Orang Asli tribes.

Iban people usually prepar 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.

belah buluh lemang.jpg|Cutting the hollowed bamboo to retrieve the lemang inside of Lemang.jpg|A piece of Lemang