Nasi Ambeng Given Title Of Selangor’s Official Heritage Dish

By Lara Kramer  •  29 Nov 2022 in Food

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Nasi ambeng, pronounced “umm-bng”, has been officially declared and gazetted as Selangor State Heritage Food.

The declaration of the heritage food was made by the Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari who wanted to dignify and ensure the sustainability of nasi ambeng as one of the heritage foods found in Selangor, as well as to provide a definition for the characteristics and elements of the version of nasi ambeng that originates from Selangor.

Nasi Ambeng kini diisytihar sbg Makanan Warisan Selangor.

Tujuan pewartaan bagi memberi ketetapan untuk ciri-ciri elemen nasi ambeng yang asli dan berasal dari Selangor@501Awani #MakananWarisanSelangor #NasiAmbeng pic.twitter.com/nJ4MXMfcEp

— Hafizi Rosli (@hafizirosli_) November 27, 2022

“The process of publicising nasi ambeng began in 2021 and started with a study of written sources and field research, followed up with a Round Table Workshop attended by nasi ambeng entrepreneurs from five districts, namely Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Klang , Kuala Langat and Sepang, that are familiar with this dish.

“The results of the discussion resulted in a final word to determine the characteristics of Nasi Ambeng Selangor, which was later gazetted as Selangor Heritage Food,” explained Amirudin when he made the virtual declaration in Sepang on Saturday night.

According to Astro Awani, Nasi ambeng is a traditional food of the Javanese community that is usually served during feasts such as tahlil and doa selamat. The filling consists of white rice served with side dishes such as chicken, Javanese fried sambal, coconut chips and fried noodles. This dish is served in a tray and shared with four to six guests.

As per Javanese tradition, the head of the family who attends the ceremony will have a taste of the rice before it is divided and taken home as a blessing to the other family members. The uniqueness of the way nasi ambeng is served makes it a traditional menu that is not only tasty but also has its own philosophical value such as agreement and unity between community members.

As for the characteristics of Traditional Selangor Nasi Ambeng, the dish consists of white rice, stewed chicken, fried noodles, salted fish, coconut flakes, fried sambal and rempeyek.