COMMUNITY CULTUREMELANAU CULTURE

MELANAU

INTRODUCTION

The Melanau are a people who live on the island of Borneo, primarily in Sarawak, Malaysia, but also in Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak, and speak a Northwest Malayo-Polynesian language.

The Melanaus can be divided into six different groups which are: Melanau Mukah, Melanau Dalat, Melanau Oya, Melanau Matu-Daro Melanau [Belawai-Rajang-Jerijih], Melanau Ba'ie (Bintulu),Melanau Balingian and Melanau Miri.Each group has its own characteristic dialect but they share the same cultural and lingual background (except for Melanau Bintulu dialect which can hardly be understood by the rest. Many linguists feel that it hardly fit into the Melanau language grouping). The Melanau languages have been divided in the following eleven: Mukah, Balingian, Oya, Dalat, Daro-Matu, Rajang, Kanowit, Sibu, Bintulu, Seru and Tanjong.

The Melanau were traditionally fishermen as well as padi and sago farmers. Some were skilled boat builders. They used to live in tall stilted and long houses, but today (2007) they live in kampung (separated houses in a village community) style. Because of religious similarity, the majority of Melanaus live socially and culturally like the rest of the Malays in Malaysia.

It is one of the rare ethnic groups in Malaysia which hardly grows or increases in its population.

All the Melanaus have a 'Bin' (son of) and 'Binti' (daughter of) in their names similar to the Malays and it is also likely that the Christian Melanaus too were designated as Malays in the census.

While originally animists, the majority of the Melanaus are now Muslim, although some of them, especially among the Melanau Mukah, Rajang and Dalat are Christian. Nonetheless, many still celebrate traditional rites such as the annual Kaul Festival. Despite their different beliefs and religions, the Melanaus, like the rest of East Malaysians (Sabah and Sarawak) are very tolerant of each other and they rightly feel proud of their tolerance. We would still come across a Melanau family with different child family members embracing Christianity and Islam while their parents still have strong animist belief.

Melanau’s Traditional Food

MELANAU TRADITIONAL FOOD

SAGO WORM / SI’ETThe Sago worm or Sago grub(si’et), is

the larva of the Sago Palm Weevil or Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus).

The worm lives and feeds on the starchy pulp of the trunk of the sago palm (after which it takes its name), which is common in the wetter freshwater swampy parts of Southeast Asia and Melanesia. The weevil has also been reported from China, Saudi Arabia (where it is an important pest of dates), Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Sago worms have a plump, yellowy-cream body with a soft-ridged texture and a hard-shelled head. The body of the worm is covered by fine hair.

FRIED SI’ET

LINUTAs the only column that highlights the

`happenings’ in Mukah division, ‘likou telou’ is obliged to focus this week on the melanau traditional delicacy made from sago flour – linut. Of all the Melanau delicacies, linut is considered as the most complete dish because it is served with ulam such as herbs and vegetables plus smoked or salted fish, spicy gravy and sambal. Though it sounds a bit complicated due to the number of accompaniment and side dishes, the preparation of linut itself is very simple, only with sago flour. Appropriate amount of sago flour, depending on the number of people, is prepared by cleaning with water. Clean water is then added to the flour before boiling water is poured on the flour as it is stirred until it turns sticky like glue.

Linut is best when served hot, and that is why the accompaniment and side dishes must be prepared before hand so that the linut can served right away while it is still hot. The traditional way to scoop the sticky linut from the bowl is to use a special clipper made from the vein of the sago palm frond. Just poke the clipper into the linut and twist it around a few times and scoop the linut which sticks to the clipper. Linut is normally served during a family reunion or a gathering of friends and visitors. The myth attached to linut This starchy stuff has a myth attached to it and one is not allowed to laugh or speak loosely about things that should not be heard while eating. Linut is one of the best examples of the traditional food that is fresh and the greens used as accompaniment are always fresh, either from the market, farm or jungle.

Linut/Ambuyat (originated from Brunei, but widely consumed in Sabah and Sarawak). Linut (in Sarawak) and Ambuyat (in Sabah) is a sticky porridge-like type of food, made from sagu flour. It can be eaten raw, or dipped into spicy sambal belacan. Normally, linut or ambuyat is eaten during high tea or night supper.

This is how to prepare for this simple but delicious meal:

• Method:A)1. To prepare sago linut, you can either use poured boiling water, or boiling water in a pot.2. Method 1) Hot Water - 2 person needed. 1 person to pour hot water, 1 person to stir. Add in normal water first to make it watery and doesn't turn into starch too soon. Then add in hot water, and stir continously until all the sago turn clear and gooey.3. Method 2) Add normal temperature water to sago in a pot (approx. 1 sago-1 1/2 water content). Heat the pot using small-medium heat and stir. Keep stirring until all the sago turn clear and gooey. Add more water if necessary. If too gooey, stir further until desired thickness.4. Put aside.

Step how to make linut

UmaiUmai is to Melanaus and sushi for

Japanese. A dish that has become synonymous for their cuisine.It stands out from the other mainstays of Melanau cuisine. Umai was originally food of convenience for Melanau fisherman on fishing trips to the sea. Traditionally, umai is thinly sliced raw fish manirated with “assam paya”, a very sour fruit of a wild palm, onions, chillies, and a pinch of salt.

A very simple recipe that could be prepared with the minimum of fuss. It was an ideal recipe for the fisherman as it would have been inconvenient and dangerous to cook anything in their small boats.

The fisherman also did not have to cook any rice as umai was traditionally eaten with baked sago pellets, a staple food of Melanaus besides the linut. Umai prepared by marinating the fish is called umai campur or mixed umai. Another way of preparing umai is to use the marinade as sauce and the sliver of fish fillet is dipped into the sauce before eating. This recipe is known as umai jup and umai connoisseurs claim it is the best way to eat umai because you get the original taste of the raw fish. Not all fish are suitable for umai and fresh water fish are seldom used. The rule of the thumb is to use fish that are easy to fillet and with fine flesh textures. At the top of the range are the white or black pomfret locally known in Sarawak as duai, while the cheaper fish used is the empirang or pihieng in Melanau. Freshness of the fish is the key factor to make umai.

RecipesIngredients

    750 g  mackerel     75 g  lime juice; local     25 g  salt     15 g  pepper     75 g  shallots     40 g  ginger     25 g  red chillies; blended     50 g  prawn paste     15 g  garlic     20 g  turmeric; fresh      1    jalapenos

Keliseh Keliseh is another traditional food Melanau. Keliseh is a food that mixed the sago with fish curry. Keliseh usually eaten at lunch time because when hot weather coupled with a spicy curry , the eater would be healthy for the ability to produce sweat, even when eating.

RecipesIngredients :

1 pack of sago (Well, like you, when participants ate too much, many. When the public does not quite pack is a bowl of sago or sago) 2 Kuah Kari ikan (you can make after you've finished cooking Keliseh fish curry. Make sure that the curry sauce is a lot more because the need for consolation had to absorb the sauce. Fish is up to you whether want to eat any fish. Definitely fresh fish)

Preparation:

If your fish curry is boiling, pour the soup into a bowl of curry earlier consolation. Make sure you ensure that no area of dry sago (a lot of curries are needed here)

Tebaloi The food that is synonymous

with the Melanau of Sarawak. Tebaloi is a brittle snack, made of sago flour, eggs and sugar.Tebaloi is some sort of cracker made from sago powder. This cracker is made from the same stuff the sago grub eat.

Ingredients : 2 eggs700 gram sago flour1 kilogram shredded

coconut(the rind removed)500 gram sugar40 gram turmeric powder

Ways to make : Beat eggs and sugar until light

and fluffy and destroyed. Put the coconut, sago flour, turmeric powder and mix and mix well. Roll out dough thinly on a banana leaf. Roastedthe first time: bake for 4-5 minutes with a temperature of 350 Celsius (half-ripe) come out and cut the size of tune. Second burn: fuel for 15 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade (15 min if not cooked, remove it from the oven)

The Step How To Make

Tebaloi

In conclusion,Melanau unique in terms of traditional food,culture and customs .

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