Travel Snapshot – Celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri With Lemang

What are the “Hari Raya” festive foods that fancied by most muslim’s as well as me over here in Malaysia? Absolutely lemang and ketupat! In conjunction with the main festival of muslim throughout the world, Hari Raya Aidilfitri or The Celebration Day Of Fasting, lemang is sold widely along the roadsides of Malaysia, especially on the way to tourist destinations. It is normally sold together with Ketupat. This has created a special scene along the way to those travel destinations where many stalls are selling lemang along the roadside and all are covered with smokes when they are cooking lemang by firing woods or charcoal. – An extra travelers’ attraction during this festive season. 🙂

Lemang is made of glutinous rice and coconut milk, with salt added for taste, all cooked in a hollow bamboo stick lined with banana leaves. Normally with a standard length of around 16 inches, lemang filled bamboo sticks are then lined up and burnt with charcoal until cooked. It is best to eat with some beef or chicken rendang (dry curry). The burnt rice with a tint of coconut fragrance is just the best!

Ketupat, or rice dumpling in woven leaves are hung at the stall with lemang in the background. It is cooked by steaming as opposed to lemang which is cooked by burning slow fire underneath it.

These are some photos showing a lemang stall where bamboos of lemangs are lined up for sale. Normally they are selling for RM8.00-12.00 per bamboo, depends on length of bamboo.

I dropped by this stall and bought a stick for RM10.00 (USD2.80), when my family and I were on our way to a travel destination in Kuala Selangor. The stall keeper lady helped me to cut off the bamboo, took out the lemang in banana leaf, put it on a chopboard, and chopped it into slices. Travelers who visited Malaysia during this festive seasons must not miss it, especially when you have just missed those Malay food for breaking fast during the Ramadhan month which was ended just 2 days before the Hari Raya!

For those malays and muslims out there, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!Lemang is one of my favourite festive foods during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festival. What about yours? – Travel Feeder.

About The Author

Cecil Lee

The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.