lihing making utensils and ingredients
Traditional Lihing (rice wine) making utensils and ingredients. Photographed at Monsopiad Cultural Village. {***Don't drink too much lihing.. it makes you TOO happy. 😀 }
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Rice wine is widely consumed in Asia (sake, anyone?), and “Lihing” is Sabah’s very own rice wine. It is a popular one and it’s 13% ~ 21% alcohol content will make you happy quite quickly. It is still made the traditional way, except for modern concessions like using plastic for covering the jars, or using ready-made yeast. Lihing may be further distilled to make a more potent drink (40% ~ 50% alcohol content) called “talak” or “montaku”{schnapps}. {Don’t mess with this one!}
The recipe is simple enough.. “pulut” {glutinous rice} cooked with just enough water, then spread on the “kohintung” {tray made from bamboo, pandan or mengkuang leaves (pandanus} to cool. The “sasad” {yeast} is pounded, mixed with the rice, and transferred to the “topukon” {jar} or container. It is sealed with banana or tarap leaves. In two weeks, it is ready for drinking from the jar, with some water added. For storage in containers, the jar is drained after a month. The remaining mash of the rice may be distilled for “talak” or “montaku” {schnapps}.
There are customs and superstitions associated with making good lihing. Read more here.
Some corktails and more imaginative ways to drink lihing here.
laadu and kikizapan (traditional tools for padi farming)
The laadu (plough) and kikizapan (contraption for extracting rice) at Monsopiad Cultural Village.
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The “laadu” is made from ironwood (ulin tree) and is pulled by buffalo to loosen the ground. The “kikizapan” is a curious looking contraption made from wood (and metal). Introduced by the Chinese settlers, the name is derived from the Malay word “kipas” which means “fan”. That explains the circular shape on one end of the contraption. It is turned by hand, generating air flow which blows the husks from the padi.
gongs man.
Traditional gongs man at work. Photographed at Monsopiad Cultural Village.
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The entrance fee to Monsopiad Cultural Village includes a tour of the site, a visit to The House of Skulls and a cultural dance performance. The dance performance is held twice daily (morning and afternoon sessions). At the time of my visit, there were only 2 visitors.. myself and a Frenchman.
ancient jars (tajau) at the house of skulls
Old tajau (jar) at the House of Skulls, Monsopiad Cultural village. The 2nd from left is the Panding Tiga, a 16th century ceremonial jar originally from Thailand. Dried hisab palm leaves ward off evil spirits.
These ancient jars sit in the House of Skulls at the Monsopiad Cultural Village. In the middle of this house, 42 skulls covered with dried hisad palm leaves, hang from the roof. They were beheaded by Monsopiad, the Kadazan warrior. The leaves are said to keep away evil spirits.
The Monsopiad Cultural Village is constructed on ancestral grounds and is run by the 6th and 7th direct descendants of Monsopiad who lived some 300 years ago. It is located about 16 km from Kota Kinabalu city, in the district of Penampang, the Kadazan heartland.
The Monsopiad Cultural Village was one of the venues of “The Amazing Race 4”, Leg 8.
may is harvest festival month in sabah {sumazau -traditional kadazan dance}
Sumazau performance at Monsopiad Cultural Village. May is the month of the Harvest Festival, a month-long celebrations of the Kadazan-Dusun and other indegenious races of Sabah. It is a joyous month!
sumazau -traditional kadazan dance
The sumazau is a traditional dance of the kadazan-dusun community. Cheerful, graceful, fascinating and seductive.
sumazau {Kadazan traditional dance}
Sumazau, the Kadazan traditional dance.
sumazau {Kadazan traditional dance}
Originally uploaded by 1davidstella
kopivosian { hello }
'kopivosian' {hello}. Dancers at the Monsopiad Cultural Village.
kopivosian { hello }
Originally uploaded by 1davidstella
Kota Kinabalu, People and Places, Street Photography. 
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