Special lemang a big hit
Customers flock to buy dish cooked in pitcher plants
KUANTAN: Lemang periuk kera, or glutinous rice cooked in pitcher plants, is a popular delicacy, especially during the fasting month.
Nor Hafizah Mohd Zaidin, 23, said the pitcher plants were collected from the jungles.
“The glutinous rice, santan and seasoning are mixed together before being placed inside the pitchers and steamed for about 45 minutes.
“The dish is special because there is a unique fragrance that comes from periuk kera and you get a hint of that when you eat the rice,” she said.
Nor Hafizah’s sister helps her to sell the delicacy. They have a stall at two Ramadan bazaars located along Jalan Mahkota and near the Darul Makmur Stadium here.
Nor Hafizah said they had been selling the delicacy for the past three years at night markets.
She said finding the periuk kera in the jungles was a challenge, which is why the delicacy is so costly.
“But we have a regular supplier. We pay RM60 for a bag of about 150 pitchers.
“That is why this dish is quite hard to find in cities like Kuala Lumpur. Even if you do find it, it can be very expensive,” Nor Hafizah said.
She said it takes more than 90 minutes to drive to the jungles of Muadzam Shah to find pitcher plants.
Depending on the size of the pitchers, a set of four or five lemang periuk kera costs RM6.
According to Nor Hafizah, the lemang goes well with curry or rendang.
Accountant Aimi Shahira, 30, said the delicacy is hard to find and she always looks out for it during the fasting month.
“My family really enjoys eating it and our eyes light up whenever we see periuk kera at a Ramadan bazaar,” she said.
Researcher Chan Sheng Li, 34, said she was
only able to find lemang periuk kera when she returned to Kuantan.
“I have never seen them being sold in Kuala Lumpur or any other place. The flavour that comes from the plant and santan cooked with glutinous rice makes it very rich,” said Chan.