Iban is the native of Sarawak, which form the major tribe of Sarawak. They are also known as ‘Sea Dayak’.  In the past, they are well-known as headhunters and sea pirates. People are fear of them because of the headhunting. Most of the Iban people are live in the coastal areas and upper rivers. The culture of Iban is giving a glass tuak, a traditional rice winefor the guests as a warm welcome to the long house. The guests must finish the tuak and should not reject the invitation to show their respect to Iban. 

 

 

 

The origins of “ayam pansuh” are unknown, but what is known is that “ayam pansuh” is a dish that is prepared by the Dayaks of Sarawak, especially on celebrations such as Gawai, or Harvest Festival. Manok Pansoh is the most common dish among Iban and also one of Sarawak,s signature dish. ‘Pansoh’ means to cook using a bamboo log and ‘manok’ means chicken. It is a chicken dish which normally be eaten with white rice.

 

Juicy pieces of chicken are stuffed into a bamboo log along with ingredients such as lemongrass, sliced ginger and finely ground garlic. The bamboo log is sealed with a gob of tapioca leaves and cook over an open fire. However, the dish is incomplete without an essential ingredient: bungkang leaves. The leaves give the dish a robust citrusy aroma that whet one’s appetite.

This natural way of cooking seals in the flavours and produces astonishingly tender chicken with a gravy perfumed with lemongrass and bamboo. Don’t be detracted by the unsightly presentation. The dish were pleasantly scented with spices, the chicken were juicy and so tender that it flesh starts to fall apart at the slightest bite. 

 

 

Ingredient

Chicken

Ginger

Garlic

Onion

Lemongrass

Bamboo

Pinch of salt

Cassava leaves (Cassava leaves are used to absorb the taste of the dish)

 

Method of cooking

1. Before using the bamboo, fill it with water for 1/2-1 hour to clean the inside, and encourage the water to seep in.
2. Marinate all Item 1-8 and Optional Ingredient together, leave some of tapioca leaves to cap the bamboo later on.
3. Emptied the water from the bamboo. Fill it with the marinated meat.
4. Don't compact all meat, let it loose lightly.
5. If you want pansuh soup, add in a cup of water.
6. Capped the bamboo with tapioca leaves.
7. Cook over pit fire-charcoal or log-bamboo stand abt 60-80 degree.
8. Pansuh is cooked if the water start to gurgle at the cap.
9. In case the pansuh is dry type, take note of color changes on the tapioca leaves to determine if it is cooked.
10. To serve, just transfer the meat into a plate.

 

 

 

The Iban are famous for their “tuak”, a sweet rice wine, distilled from rice, sago or any other convenient source of fermentable sugar which is served during big celebrations and festive occasions. They start dinking tuak early, even ten years old boys also drink it.

When you arrive at any longhouse during the festival, the occupants will offer you tuak as a welcoming drink. It used to offend the occupants if visitors refuse the offering but now the host is more understanding as some religion like Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol of any sort.

There is two types of tuak which is milky tuak that taste like sweet sake and a clear one that is taste much stronger. For those who want a stronger dose, “langkau” or Iban whisky can be sourced from longhouses in the interior. The commercial rice wine or tuak is rather pleasant to drink too, and none of that home-brewed murkiness either.

 

 

Ingredients:
Dry powder compacted yeast (ragi).

-Use 2 types. One flat, one round

(or just use the flat type)
Rice (here we used glutinous rice)
Coarse Sugar
Water
Ginger (to swab on the container before use)

Optional :
Whisky – to add more power. Man’s rice wine normally will add this. Women’s rice wine is normally sweater.

Method.
1. Pound yeast finely.
2. Soak rice overnight. Cook it as usual. When it is cool, mix with the yeast thoroughly.
3. Keep in an airtight container. Put clean white cloth on top before closing the lid for proper fermentation process.
4. After 2-3 days, check and stir. Close again.
5. After a week or so, cook sugar with water, then pour in the container.
6. After a month, check for the taste. Adjust ingredient if necessary.
7. Strain and keep the wine in a bottle. The remaining fine sediment will go down eventually. Refilter if necessary.

Tips:
1. If it turns sour, add more cooked sugar.
2. If it turns bland, add more yeast.
3. Uncoloured container or a ceramic storage (tempayan seramik) is best.
4. Keep container in a cool, dark place.
5. Store wine preferably in a glass bottle. Plastic bottle can react to the chemical process in a wine.
6. The older the wine, the better it taste.