October 22, 2009

Lemba - Sweet Desserts for the Indigenous Children of Yesteryears








Indigenous children look for these little fruitlets when they need to sweet break - the little budlets or fruitlets are similar to the popular dragon fruit. But it is really tiny.

Many people our age did not know manufactured sweets when they were young. Sugar came to their lives only when the Chinese businessmen opened shop in the Ulu )rural areas) of Sarawak.

Can you remember your first sweet?

The Lemba was the first sweet many of our older Iban and Orang Ulu friends.

11 comments:

Superman said...

Never see or eat that before. First sweet? I can't remember. My wife always said I had a bad memory.

Ensurai said...

My first sweet? Mine was the Hua Seng Tong (Peanut brittle in Wan Hin Sibu) before my father bought chocolate from Singapore.
May be you should ask your mother /sister? (Just kidding(
thanks for visiting.

William said...

I didn't know that this plant produces fruitlets! My first sweet ah... I think it was either the Hua Seng Tong or the rabbit sweet.

Ah Ngao said...

wow..! my first sweet - Bluebird ,..i think

Ensurai said...

Hi William - want to see some lemba? My friend has a farm and surrounding it are lots of lemba plants. The fruitlets are nice if you are patient enough...free too...
May be we should go out for a nature shooting one day?
You name the day and we can have a picnic with your family too..

Ensurai said...

Ah Ngao....any more Bluebird around? I used to love them...thanks for the memories.

Ensurai said...

Wenn

I think ada lah...near kampongs in West Malaysia...I will try Selangor myself oneday... I am sure along the Sg. Buloh road.

Thanks for visiting.

Lo Kelween said...

hello hello..came from Chen's blog. I just finished my bagpack trip in Kuching. Hope to visit Sibu and Miri next year.

thanks for sharing these precious information! will read through your post when I have time. ;)

Ensurai said...

Eel Wind

Thanks for dropping by...hope you have a good rest after Kuching....

cheers.

Greenspot said...

Good evening Sarawakiana!

Lemba must be the same plant used to dyed the fibre for kain pua. Correct me if I am wrong.


Cheers!!!
Greenspot

Ensurai said...

Yeah Greenspot...that's right! I forgot to mention it...focussing too much on the sweet sacs..or fruitlets.

The lemba has always been used a s twine to tie things in the long house.

I am going to grow some lemba in my own backyard now that I know where to get the little ones....
Nice of you to drop by...

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