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Preparation of Lemantak Flour

The first step in producing lemantak flour begins with splitting and cutting the mulong (sago palm) tree into small pieces to be fed into a grating machine, which separates the pulp from the sago core. The grated sago pulp is then mixed with water to extract the sago starch, similar to squeezing coconut milk from grated coconut. The pulp goes through a filtering process and is pressed to separate it from the residue or 'pow' in the Melanau language. A continuous flow of river water is crucial as the production of lemantak flour requires ample water for separation of its components.

The sago pulp collected is channelled into a jalur, a type of belian (ironwood) pipe with a hollow interior. Water is added into the jalur to settle the sago starch, and once the starch has settled, the water is drained, leaving only the sago starch. This sago starch is then transferred into jars and prepared for drying.

Making Sago Pearls

Sago pearls are a staple food for the Melanau people, particularly in Tellian village, Matu, Sarawak. Sago pearls are made using lemantak flour. The flour is mixed with dried grated coconut or kerisik, rice bran, coconut milk, and salt. All these ingredients must be finely pounded to facilitate blending. Some villagers use a coconut grinding machine to mix the ingredients. The prepared mixture is sifted into a takung, a special mold made from bamboo. The sifted mixture is rolled using a gaah, a special tool woven from nipah palm leaves. This rolling process forms small, round balls through the holes of the takung.

The rolled sago mixture is re-sifted through the takung to achieve uniform round shapes. Smaller, uniform-sized balls pass through the holes, while larger ones remain in the mold. These uniform-sized balls are ready for baking. The mixture that falls through the mold is re-rolled, and the process is repeated until all the flour is used up. Once completed, the sago balls left in the mold are baked. The baking process begins by heating an earthenware or clay pot. Once the pot is sufficiently hot, the sago balls are placed on it and baked without the use of oil. The balls must be evenly spread with a special, clean broomstick to ensure uniform cooking. This baking process takes a considerable amount of time, approximately five hours, to produce crispy and delicious sago balls. The finished sago balls are stored in tins and sealed tightly to prevent them from becoming soft and are then ready for sale.

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