Kelabit Food: A Taste of the Highlands in Bario, Sarawak

Deep in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak lies Bario, home to the Kelabit people and one of Malaysia’s most unique food cultures. Follow me on this journey where I share Kelabit Food: A Taste of the Highlands in Bario.

Kelabit food is unlike anything else you’ll find in Borneo — rustic, wholesome, and crafted almost entirely from natural resources sourced from the surrounding highlands. With recipes passed down through generations and cooking methods closely tied to tradition, Kelabit cuisine is both a culinary experience and a cultural journey.

The Uniqueness of Kelabit Food

Kelabit food is often described as slow food, prepared from scratch using jungle vegetables, wild herbs, and locally sourced meats. Its flavours are earthy, smoky, and distinct, making it an acquired taste for some and a revelation for others.

Because many of the ingredients are only found in the highlands, you won’t find authentic Kelabit restaurants outside of Bario. To truly experience the cuisine, you need to travel to the Kelabit Highlands.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve travelled to Bario and Ba’kelalan several times for my article work and have stayed in various homes there. This allowed me to sample a variety of highland Kelabit dishes from different families. I am sharing them here so the world knows what is available.

Signature Kelabit Dishes (Kelabit Name + English Description)

1. A’beng
   The traditional Kelabit method of preparing de-boned river fish is usually lightly cooked or preserved to retain its natural flavour.
2. Ayu
   In the Kelabit community, preserved meat is typically wild boar or buffalo, either smoked or sun-dried for long-term storage—a vital protein source in the highlands.
3. Kikid
   Traditional Kelabit rice porridge made from Bario rice is typically served during communal gatherings, ceremonies, and special occasions.
4. Kikid Ayu
   A firmer, drier version of Kikid mixed with preserved meat (Ayu) instead of fresh meat, offering a richer and saltier taste.
5. Labo Belatuh
   Smoked wild boar or venison, salted and preserved over an open fire. The meat is later boiled and pounded into strips, producing a deep smoky flavour.
6. Labo Senutuq
   Shredded beef or wild boar, stir-fried with bamboo shoots and torch ginger flower (kantan), creates a fragrant and hearty dish.
7. Lanau
   Local highland asparagus cooked with dried fish. A simple but flavourful everyday Kelabit vegetable dish.
8. Lingayen
   Wild Kelabit spinach, usually stir-fried or lightly steamed with local herbs, is prized for its freshness and earthy taste.
9. Linut / Linud
   A thick, sticky porridge-like dish made from rice or tubers, commonly eaten with vegetables or dried fish.
10. Luang Pelian (Semah Fish)
    Highly prized freshwater fish, often steamed with ginger and wild herbs or cooked inside bamboo tubes (sena’ih).
11. Midin (Pau’uh)
    Wild jungle fern that is crunchy and mildly sweet. In the Kelabit Highlands, it is often sautéed with wild ginger flowers and garlic.
12. Nuba’ Laya’- Softened Bario rice wrapped neatly in palm or banana leaves. A staple Kelabit food, commonly served with side dishes.
13. Nuba’ Tinga
    A variation of Nuba’ Laya’, where wrapped rice is smoked or lightly grilled, giving it a distinct aroma.
14. Parang / Pa’ar
    Simple dish of wild forest leaves, lightly boiled or steamed and eaten plain or with salt and chilli.
15. Senape
    Similar to Nuba’ Laya’, but made with glutinous rice wrapped in leaves, resulting in a chewier texture.
16. Tagayan
    Wild forest mushrooms are found seasonally, often stewed or added to rice dishes for natural umami flavour.
17. Teba’Traditional smoked or air-dried river fish prepared for storage. Often flaked into vegetable dishes or eaten with rice.
18. Telu’ Bario (Bario Salt)
    Not a dish, but an essential element of Kelabit food heritage—used daily in cooking and preservation.
19. Udung Ubih
    Pounded tapioca leaves stir-fried with lemongrass and seasoned with Bario salt. A common daily vegetable dish.
20. Ubud
    Various edible plant “hearts,” such as banana, pineapple, and bamboo shoots (puluh), are cooked in soups or stir-fries.
21. Wild Tuber Dishes (Ubi Hutan)
    Dishes made from forest tubers were traditionally relied upon during poor harvests or food shortages.

Kelabit Essential Ingredients (Kelabit Name + English Description)

1. Bua Kabar (Bario Pineapple)
   Exceptionally sweet and juicy highland pineapple, eaten fresh or used in traditional cooking.
2. Bera Adan (Bario Rice)
   Famous small-grain rice grown organically in high-altitude paddies, valued for its fragrance and slightly sweet taste.
3. Tudtuq Kelabit (Bario Salt)
   High-potash salt extracted from ancient salt springs in the Kelabit Highlands, grey in colour, and traditionally packed in bamboo tubes.

Jungle Vegetables and Highland Flavours

Vegetables play an essential role in Kelabit cuisine. Visitors can expect to try exotic jungle greens such as midin (wild ferns), tepus (wild ginger bud), Bario Ajinomoto leaves (used as a natural flavouring), bunga kantan (torch ginger), daun ubi (cassava leaves), and terong burung pipit (tiny wild eggplants). Each is cooked in different ways — from stir-frying to boiling — offering unique flavours that are both refreshing and deeply tied to the highlands.

Cultural Dining Experiences

Food in Bario is all about community and culture. Guests staying at homestays or visiting longhouses are often treated to traditional Kelabit dinners, complete with cultural performances. Meals are typically served on mats laid on the floor, with dishes prepared and shared communally.

Hospitality is expressed through food, and visitors often leave with a deeper appreciation for the warmth and generosity of the Kelabit people. However, not everything is readily accepted by visitors, so please be prepared for a gastronomic journey of a lifetime when you’re here.

Conclusion

Kelabit cuisine is best understood by visiting the Bario highlands. From smoked meats and wild vegetables to the famous Bario rice and pineapple, every dish reflects the ingenuity and traditions of the Kelabit people.

For adventurous food lovers, tasting Kelabit cuisine is more than just trying something new; it’s a journey into the heart of Sarawak’s cultural and natural heritage, unlike anything you have tried.