Lemang is a traditional Malaysian food that originated from the Iban people of Borneo. Lemang is made of glutinous rice and coconut milk and cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. Usually prepared for celebrations such as the Iban harvest festival of Hari Gawai, lemang is usually eaten with meat dishes such as chicken curry. In fact, the cooking process used in making lemang, also known as “pansoh/pansuh”, is adapted by Dayak communities for a wide variety of meats.

Lemang is also popular in Indonesian Malay and Iban communities, usually prepared by using the tapai method. Lemang can now be found throughout Indonesia due to the spread of Minangkabau people throughout the country.

Lemang is ubiquitous amongst Malay communities and commonly eaten to mark the end of daily fasting during the annual Muslim Malaysian holidays of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Haji. The aboriginal communities of West Malaysia (Orang Asli) also practice cooking rice in bamboo.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemang

See also: Lebaran, Hari Raya, Ramadan Gift