Lemang, the typical food of Aceh, Indonesia

LEMANG is one of Aceh's traditional foods that appears more often at the time of Ramadan. This food is made from glutinous rice cooked using a piece of bamboo.

In Indonesia, you will find many in various regions. However, you will find it easier to find in the Aceh area in particular. Not only the people of Aceh who like it, foreign tourists also like this one food.

Pembuatan lemang saat bulan puasa bisa dibilang sudah menjadi tradisi di kalangan masyarakat Tanah Rencong, Aceh, dan sudah menjadi salah satu menu takjil andalan mereka.

Making lemang during the fasting month has become a tradition among the people of Tanah Rencong, Aceh, and has become one of their mainstay takjil menus.

Cooked with bamboo? Yes, lemang is indeed a food that is made in a very traditional way, which is cooked in a piece of bamboo. Previously, lemang was rolled first with a piece of banana leaf. The ingredients used are also quite simple, namely glutinous rice, coconut milk, and salt.

The first step that needs to be done in making lemang is first, the sticky rice is soaked in coconut milk first. The sticky rice that has been soaked in coconut milk is then put into a bamboo stick that has been coated with banana leaves.

After that, it is burned on coals from the burning of used wood. The purpose of using banana leaves is to prevent sticky rice from sticking. The burning is carried out until the sticky rice inside the bamboo is cooked. Once cooked, this food is cut into small pieces resembling rice cake and then ready to eat.

When Ramadan arrives, a lemang seller in Aceh can spend 40 to 60 bamboo rice. This amount can produce 100 to 250 bamboo sticks which already contain lemang lunch.

The prices offered also vary, between Rp. 30 thousand to Rp. 100 thousand. Because of the many enthusiasts of lemang, in a day the sellers can earn an income of Rp. 3 million-Rp 4 million. The lemang is usually opened at 15.30 WIB, and before 6 pm the buyer is hunting for it.

Not only present during the holy month, lemang apparently can also be found in stalls in Aceh. Local people usually enjoy lemang at a coffee shop, and it is even more delicious if it is added with beaten egg coffee or 'boh manoek weng'.

The typical culinary of Tanah Rencong, this has been around for decades. Has a characteristic that is seductive, so that it arouses the taste of the audience. The mixture of coconut milk and glutinous rice that blends in the bamboo reeds that are burned in a row creates a truly delicious aroma.