Food : Nibong - the forgotten palm

Oncosperma tigillaria
(Nibong Palm)

I will never forget the dinner in a small longhouse several years ago. The host went out with us to cut down a nibong tree just before the sun reached the top of the hills. He said it was time to prepare for dinner. He did not wear a watch. He then went to the small river which at that time was in pristine condition. He raised the traps he had put in earlier on in the morning and out came several prawns in each trap. He already had a few fish in his little boat when he came in from the padi fields. By the time we settled down for our bath in the river he had already cleaned the nibong and the prawns. He had all these in the bamboo canisters (pansur) over the fire on the rocks as we enjoyed our bath. The setting sun cast gentle shadows on the fire and the fragrance of the boiling fish and prawns filled the air. As the fire wood crackled and the charcoals spitted when liquid dropped on them I could tell that the cooking nibong was sweet and delectable.


His wife already had the rice cooked (in bamboo) and some nice vegetables stir fried  as we dressed . When we gathered on the mat (lampit)  he took out the bamboo canisters and poured out the food into the bowls.

We thus had a meal almost all from nature. How bountiful the earth was! Each morsel of food was appreciated by young and old. Very little cooking oil was used for our meal and I was amazed! The rise in price of cooking oil would not affect the financial status of this family.

Recently  during my land trip along the coast of Sarawak I came across some clumps of nibong trees and reminisced the pleasant longhouse dinner which have not been forgotten. This time round I had the opportunity to take photos of the nibong. That memorable trip was neither videoed nor digitally  photographed . But every image was imprinted on my mind. The fragrance of cooking nibong palm shoot would always trigger off the images in the future.

The Nibong Palm is often called the forgotten palm because in size it is nothing compared to the coconut which is very stately and ubiquitous. It is not as financially rewarding as the oil palm which fetches about 400 ringgit per ton. The nibong is slim and slender and often found in difficult terrain in the equatorial jungles.

In fact the Ibans have long woven its pattern into their pua kumbu. And this palm pattern has been  mentioned in "Iban Ritual Textiles" by Traude Gavin. Otherwise no many non Ibans would know of its significance in indigenous life.

The nibong wood is hard and very lasting. It can withstand the saline conditions of the open sea. On land the nibong is used as a building material like beams and posts. Many longhouses have been sturdily built in this way. Even termites cannot bite through the hard wood. The famous kelongs of Singapore and Selangor have been built using nibong. I have the opportunity of staying in the kelong when I was younger and had enjoyed life amongst the fishermen and their families. It was a memorable experience and the support from the nibong stilts/foundation was amazing. The sea was all around us and yet nothing would tilt or shake in the room!! At night we were safe as we watched by pressure lamp lights the fish and squid coming to the nets. Even when the wind blew there was nothing to be afraid of. I often wonder why the tourism industry would not make a kelong type of homestay to attract both foreign and local tourists.

For the women the nibong has proven its worth as good wood for utensils like ladles and scoops. Some are even custom made into special water containers and other decorative items for the stylish homes in the city.

Beautiful carved nibong trays for example have been specially ordered from the inner most parts of Sarawak for use in stately homes in Kuala Lumpur and even in London. Most of these become conversation piece for guests.


The two pictures show the slim nibong trees along the lowlands of Sarawak between Miri and Bintulu.

In Sabah the Bungkau (jaw's harp) is made from the bark of a nibong palm called bongkala)

The nibong also provides one of the tastiest palm shoots for the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. The palm shoot is taken from a young sapling of the nibong. In fact when the nibong palm shoot is sold in the native market it is usually taken up as quickly as it is laid out for sale. For weddings in the longhouse the bridegroom's family members would go right into the jungle to cut some umbut nibong for the wedding feast. Thus is is a celebration food. Nibong palm can be cooked with coconut milk to make a nice soup. It can be cooked with ikan bilis to make a nice stew. Stir fried with meat and other vegetables it can appear in the choicest five star hotel restaurant as a specialty dish. The palm shoot can be cooked in as many different ways as the chef's imagination can bring.


The nibong should not be forgotten at all.