Food and Drink in Bidayuh Bau


anyang

English: a meal of mixed pork with rice - This meal is eaten as a snack at a ritual ceremony especially if it is carried out far from the house. It is cooked in bamboo for convenience.
Bahasa Malaysia: makanan campuran nasi dan daging yang dimasak dalam buluh


arak

English: liquor
Bahasa Malaysia: arak


arak tondok

English: a moonshine
Bahasa Malaysia: arak buatan sendiri


baangk

English: onions
Bahasa Malaysia: bawang


baangk birieh

English: a small onion called shallot
Bahasa Malaysia: bawang merah


baangk mopu'

English: a garlic
Bahasa Malaysia: bawang putih


biink

English: a shrimp paste
Bahasa Malaysia: belacan


boras

English: rice
Bahasa Malaysia: beras


boras pulut

English: sweet rice
Bahasa Malaysia: beras pulut


juu'

English: soup
Bahasa Malaysia: sup


kau'

English: a fermented fish delicacy - Also referred to as kau’ pingolih (for salt water fish), this is a very unique Bau Bidayuh’s dish and no other group of people on planet Earth prepares fish this way. The ingredients include as many fresh water fish as possible to fit in a typical jar or gobuk and preferably bony fish, some sea salt, rice powder and leaves from a thorny plant commonly found in Borneo forests. The fish is treated with ground sea salt to remove excess moisture and unwanted odor. Then, all the salted fish are put into the gobuk. Leaves are put on top of the fish to prevent flies from laying their eggs on them or worms from getting into the meat before sealing the gobuk. Some people use tapioca leaves or poyank leaves but others use a thorny creeper's leaves called bikolamp. After three or four days, the dehydration process to preserve the flesh is complete. The fish is taken out to spread rice powder evenly on and inside the fish. It is then put into a gobuk for the next process which is fermentation. The gobuk for the dehydration and the frementation process is usually sealed with an airtight cover made of layers of buant leaves on top of layers of manah leaves which are then tied shut with strips made of the barks of the boyuh tree. The manah leaves work well to cool the fish and help in the preservation and fermentation processes. Today, it would be a tin cover with a layer of plastic in between to prevent leakage but leaves are still preferred. The fermentation period takes approximately about 30 days and once fermented, the kau’ can be kept for many years. The longer it is preserved the better because even the bones are soft and to Bau Bidayuh, this makes it very delicious to eat. Today kau' is a rare delicacy due to the dwindling supply of suitable freshwater fish which used to populate the many Borneo rivers that are now either too polluted or over-fished.
Bahasa Malaysia: pekasam ikan


kitupat

English: a glutinuous rice dumpling
Bahasa Malaysia: kuih chang


kuduos

English: a vegetable
Bahasa Malaysia: sayur


labal

English: a Bidayuh food item of minced cucumber flesh mixed with shrimp paste chilli sauce
Bahasa Malaysia: makanan timun yang isinya dicicah halus dan dicampur dengan sambal belacan


sukuoi

English: sweet rice wrapped in manah leaf
Bahasa Malaysia: nasi pulut bungkus dalam daun kelupis


tikasuomp

English: a type of meat dish that is pickled - Popular among Bidayuhs are fish and wild boar meat pickle.
Bahasa Malaysia: kasam


tobah

English: a fermentation - It usually refers to fermented meat or fish.
Bahasa Malaysia: pekasam daging


tuak

English: a rice wine
Bahasa Malaysia: air ragi


tuak tobuh

English: a potent wine made from sugar cane
Bahasa Malaysia: tuak tebu


tuak topui

English: a wine made from the tropical fruit baccaurea macrocarpa
Bahasa Malaysia: air tuak tampoi


tubi'

English: boiled rice
Bahasa Malaysia: nasi


tubi' jaliak

English: porridge
Bahasa Malaysia: nasi bubur