Cultural Meets - Food Preparations

Alright let us continue to Part 2 of my trip. On the first day of the events we are waiting for the participants to arrive. It actually takes about one hour drive from the nearest town to the host village. However, it is not a tar road but a gravel plantation/logging road. So, it quite rough and not comfortable journey using four wheels drive transport.

Okay, what I really like for that day was, I was amazed by the housewives preparing food for the guests and participants. They really work as a team. I sit with them and asking about the traditional food that they make. Almost all of the vegetables are forest products and it is so fresh.

They told me they look for it the day before and that’s why it still so fresh. From what I remember, they have two different species of gingers, “kantan” and “tuhau”(will find information on this two species of gingers soon, I don’t have my gingers of Borneo field guide book with me now), “kangkung”, wild fruits ( I also not sure what species of tree is that but it is really sour), rattan shoots and few more and I can’t remember it well. All the info I get, especially the name was in Murut language.

The way they prepare it also quite unique and it was the first time I eat tapioca cooked in bamboo. Usually for Dayak from Sarawak they have “Ayam Pansuh” means chicken cooked in bamboo. The taste quite nice and smells good.

The food preparations also interesting to observed because they do it together as a team. During festivals or events like this we can see this team spirit among the villagers. Still I find it interesting even though the same thing also still happens in my own village.