Lemang Kelamai @ Perak

Kelamai is a delicacy of the Rao commuity from Gopeng, Perak.  The Rao or Rawa is the decendents of the Rao imigrants from West Sumatra whom migrated to Malaya ( 1773-1848 to N9, 1857-1863 to Pahang, 1867-1876 to Selangor, 1875-1876 to Perak ) in the 1800s and 1900s.

It is made from glutinous flour, brown sugar, coconut milk, kerisik, tahi minyak and coarse sugar.  The ingredients are fermented for 3 days before slowly cook in bamboo. 

The bamboo used is bulur aur ( Bambusa vulgaris ).  Compare to buluh lemang ( Schizotachyum brachycladum ), it has thicker wall, shorter internode and bigger in size.

Kelamai is then slowly cook over fire for 4 – 6 hours.

Cari Makan @ Kg Kuala Kuang - 菜粿

Charguo 菜粿 ( pronounced càiguǒ in Mandarin hànyǔ pīnyīn ) is a traditional snack of Chinese Hakka.  It is made of chives ( 韭菜, Allium schoenoprasum ) and/or jicama ( 沙葛, Pachyrhizus erosus ) wrapped in glutinous flour skin.

Being a Hakka settlement, Kg Kuala Kuang is famous among the Kinta valley for its charguo.  The charguo is slightly bigger than KL’s.  The skin is pink in colour, and the filling taste totally different.     I find KL’s charguo suite my taste better.

My old friend A’Seng stays in Kampung Kuala Kuang ( 瓜拉光 ) near Chemor ( 朱毛, now珠宝) town.  Kampung Kuala Kuang  is a new village occupied by mainly Chinese of Hakka dialect.   Chemor was once ( 1980s ) the biggest tapioca producing town in the world.

Chemor is accessible  from Ipoh via NSE (E1), taking the Jelapang Exit, then turn right onto Jalan Chemor (A1) and drive for about 5km towards Chemor town.  Look out for a huge entrance at right hand side.  Charguo are just minutes away from the village entrance.   The stall is opposite the morning market.    It is Google Map, and most probably in your GPS as well.  Otherwise, follow your instinct &/@ your nose.