Ambuyat

Ambuyat is a famous staple of food derived from the Brunei-Malay community, and is available in most of the homestay in Labuan. Ambuyat is made of sago starch available in big slabs sold at the Labuan weekend market for a mere RM2. 

The making process is simple, mix the sago slab with cold water to soften it into watery form. Then, add a jug full of hot water gradually while stirring the mixture. The ambuyat will be ready when the mixture turns into an almost transparent white with gluery texture. Instead to having rice with some dishes for lunch, Brunei-Malays would have ambuyat instead. It is tasteless, so the many flavours will come from the dishes you serve to your dinners. Ambuyat is usually accompanied with the mango sambal - a mixture of shredded mangoes, chilli and dried shrimps. Dinners are provided with a pair of chopsticks with joined ends. Twist the chopsticks around the ambuyat then dip it in any of the gravy, sauce or curries available.

 

Ambuyat is believed to have a cooling effect, and would do wonders to people with high blood pressure. It is not as filling as rice, as is comprise mostly of water, which means you would be visiting bathroom a little more often than after an ambuyat meal. But, it it good for cleansing the bladder system.! Accordind to the Brunei-Malay superstition, ambuyat is not to be consumed in a family that has suffered a death of a close family member or relative within 40 days. By consuming it, someone else in the family migth suffer the same fate.