Kpg Apar hosts sago festival

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TRADITIONAL FEAST: Villagers work together to cook the delicious dishes.

BAU: Kampung Apar played host to a low key sago festival yesterday.

The inaugural event was held on the grounds of the soon to be completed homestay village near the Redeems Bamboo Park.

IT’S GOOD: Nansian holds up rotung, which was cooked in bamboo. — Photos by Tan Song Wei

Assistant Minister of Community Services Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie said 12 villages from the Singai area in Bau took part in the gathering.

“This is an event to showcase the many traditional ways in which sago can be eaten.

“It is also to remember our culture and roots as Bidayuh, which is not the only native community that eats sago as part of our staple diet,” he told reporters.

Among the sago dishes featured included rotung (sago cooked in bamboo), kubar (sweet sago pancake), linut (glue-like sago paste) and ponas (sago soup).

Nansian, who is also Tasik Biru assemblyman, said if the event is well-received, it could become an annual affair.

“It can be a cultural festival, in a traditional setting. It is different to eat traditional food served in hotels compared to the ones served in this manner. The atmosphere is different, very relaxed and very authentic,” he said.

DELICIOUS PASTE: Nansian explains how ‘linut’ is taken to some reporters.

About 50 villagers took part in the event, which also aimed to promote cooperation and good ties among the villagers, as they got together to cook a sumptuous spread of traditional food, including chicken pansoh, fish kasam (fermented fish), tempoyak and kampung-style pork. The villagers also enjoyed karaoke sessions and various performances.