What You Need to Know About “Ambuyat”

Touted as the most commonly eaten food in Brunei, the ambuyat is typically a semi-transparent chewy, gooey food that is, more often than not, mistaken as being a part of dessert. At first glance, the white glue-like stuff usually served in a large, wide bowl looks like it should be eaten at the end of a meal, preferably with fresh fruits or sweet syrup. However, the fact is, ambuyat is eaten as a main course, or rather, as an accompaniment to the main condiments served at the table.

Ambuyat is essentially made from sago from the rumbia palm tree. The sago inside the trunk of the rumbia palm tree is derived through certain processes where impurities are removed and only pure sago is left. The sago powder or lumps are then sold in markets where people will purchase them in packs – at this point the material is called ambulung. After bringinging home the packs of ambulung, the powder or lumps will be poured into a bowl. Next, hot water will be poured in slowly as the mixture slowly forms, all the while being stirred until it becomes consistent. After the mixture has solidified, it is then served at the table and eaten dipped into sour sauces made from lime and binjai (mango-like fruit). It is also best eaten with spicy sauces cooked with fish, meat and vegetables.