Central Tapanuli, North Sumatr (ANTARA) - Residents of Pasar Tukka Village, Tukka Sub-district, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, continue the tradition of cooking lemang or sticky rice in bamboo ahead of Eid at their homes, which were damaged by floods last year.
Cooking lemang, a dish made of glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in bamboo, is an annual tradition. Although it originates from West Sumatra's Minangkabau culture, the food has become a must-have menu item for Tukka residents during Eid al-Fitr and New Year celebrations.
When met by ANTARA here on Friday, Lismawarni Siagian was preparing lemang on a patch of land. Now renting a house in a neighboring village, she returned to the site where her home once stood.
"I intentionally cook lemang here, on top of where my house is buried (by flood materials). I used to make lemang every year here," Siagian said.
Located by the roadside, her house was buried in mud following the flash flood. The mud has dried and hardened, creating a mound covering her home.
Cooking lemang has become a way for her to revive memories from before her life was changed by the disaster.
According to her, Tukka residents usually work together to prepare lemang ahead of Eid.
At the time, residents were already halfway through grilling bamboo filled with lemang over an open fire.
Not far from Siagian, Hotnida Simanjuntak and her family were also cooking lemang in the yard of their mud-buried home.
The lemang she prepared was not only for personal consumption but also for sale. She said the sales help meet daily needs. A stick of lemang in Tukka is usually priced at Rp40,000.
"This lemang is not only for us; some are orders from local residents. It is not much, but we are grateful," she said.
