BY ANIS HIPNI
KUCHING: For nearly a decade, Staff Sergeant Heryanto Narjono has been delighting locals with his perfectly cooked lemang, a traditional glutinous rice dish grilled to perfection in bamboo.
What began as a childhood passion has now become a sought-after festive season delicacy, attracting customers from as far as Kapit, Lundu and Tebedu.
Selling lemang since 2015 from his home, the 44-year-old first learned the craft at the age of 12 from his uncle, who was also in the lemang business.
“I’ve always been in the lemang business. I used to follow my uncle when he was selling lemang, and that’s how I learned everything about the process,” he recalled.
Despite being in the army, his love for making lemang never faded. After returning from Lahad Datu in 2015, a friend encouraged him to start selling again, leading to the launch of his home-based lemang business.
Unlike mass-produced lemang, Heryanto’s lemang is completely handmade and freshly prepared. Customers can watch the entire process as he carefully fills bamboo with glutinous rice, lines it with banana leaves, and grills it over an open flame.
This dedication to freshness and craftsmanship is what makes his lemang special, prompting people to travel long distances just to buy it.
Heryanto only sells lemang during festive seasons and during peak periods, he sells up to 400 lemang per day, with prices ranging from RM10 to RM15 per roll.
He promotes his business mainly through Facebook, where he updates customers on availability and takes pre-orders.
While he is still serving in the army, Heryanto plans to retire this October. And after retirement, he intends to focus on farming but continue making lemang during festive seasons.
“I prefer to keep it casual and only sell during celebrations,” he said, adding that he sometimes caters to special requests for events like Chinese New Year or Christmas.
With years of experience, a commitment to tradition, and a growing customer base, Heryanto’s lemang continues to be a must-have festive treat.
