Trengganu Raya Delicacies: Tapai Pulut in Daun Getah

This one particular sweetmeat is popular here in Trengganu. It is more common to ketupat or lemang and to have raya without this is not raya indeed here. If my memories of past raya did not betray me, there is no raya that was celebrated without tapai pulut. So significant that mom priorities this in her list of raya delicacies, ketupat is always bought from someone else.



Usually prepared two days before Eid, mom will make sure that it is everyone's affair of making sure it is done before the end of the day. Preparing this is always a merry chance of get together for us.


The tapai is made from sticky rice (or is it called glutinous rice?), mom use the help of bacteria in ragi (that chunk of white stuff in the strainer, seriously, I dont know what is this in English) through fermentation to help sweeten it.


The tapai is wrapped in leaves of rubber tree, beside from giving the tapai a shade of refreshing green, the leaves also provides aroma, but not at all like the smell og getah mind you!


For us youngster, this will be perfect time for us to hone our skill of tapai packing, as shown here by my nephew, beside, who else will carry the sweet tradition after this?


Perhaps aided by some ancient Trengganu charm, the tapais are left to sweetened in some dark damp corner of our house.


And usually when Eid comes, the tapais are ready to be wolfed by sweet tooth who craves it! YUMM!


My living memories only remember two version of tapai, the one shown here and another one, wrapped in daun jembal. Usually made by those who live by the sea. Why? simply because rubber tree dont grow near the beaches

Tapai in Jembal Leaves, taken here

But I even heard that they use yam leaves to to prepare tapai, wonder how they overcome the gatal that come along?

Next, I will share the secret trade of making Nasi Dagang which in the very moment of me writing this, is steaming hot in mom's kitchen, bye!