The Melanau people, representing 5.8 percent of the population of Sarawak, now live primarily in the central coastal region of this East Malaysian state. At one time, these people were widely scattered, living near the sea within easy reach of the pirates. The Melanau built massive houses which stand forty feet above ground.  Most of the various tribes in Borneo plant and harvest rice for food. The Melanau people differ from other Borneo tribes in one important aspect: they prefer to eat sago instead of rice. Sago is harvested from Sago palms, which originally grew wild in the coastal swamps. Today, they Sago palms are cultivated. The sago tree, each growing to a height of 10 meters/32 feet, is felled when the accumulation of starch within its trunk swells, before the palm tree flowers. The pith of the palm is grated into a fine mash, then soaked in a wooden trough. After soaking, the pith is then trodden through a mat to leach out the sago starch, which looks similar to corn starch. The sediment settles in the bottom of a trough, then is spread upon mats to dry into lumps. The lumps are finally broken up and ground into flour, used for a variety of delicious dishes. Henry and I watched the process of sago preparation. We also observed sago crackers being baked in a clay oven, the fire stoked with wood. A banana leaf was used as a base upon which to spread the sago flour. Each large square was placed in the oven on a large wooden paddle, much like a pizza paddle, then left to bake. After baking to a crisp texture, the sago crackers were stacked, and the banana leaf was pulled away and discarded. It was curious to see a whole stack of scrunched up black banana leaves in this hut where the baking was being done. I have become a fan of sago pearls, and a dessert called Gulah Melaka, which is tasty. The sago pearls were also used in my favorite dessert which I tasted in Singapore:  avocado cream with sago pearls, with a scoop of hard-frozen vanilla ice cream floating within a coconut shell. This was very gourmet, and very delicious.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. The Melanau longhouse. 2. The costumes of the Melanau tribe. 3. Carved figures in a “Healing Room” in a Melanau longhouse. 4. Detail: Healing Room with objects, paintings, and colorful flags. Center, Top: Tibou Swing. The Melanau people believe in extreme sport. At festival time, a tripod swing is erected. The young men take turns  to leap aboard and fly through the air. Center, Bottom: Colorful Melanau hat, embellished with fabric and yarn. Right Column: 1. Melanau woman demonstrating the making of Sago flour. 2 Sago starch, piled upon a mat. 3. A stack of sago crackers, removed from the oven with its banana leaf peeled away. 4. Red, yellow, and black flags, colors of the Melanau people, decorating a doorway at festival time.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                        BACK TO MAP  PAGE