Language
Local food knowledge base
Sabah's food is shaped by more than 30 indigenous groups and the Chinese, Malay and Bajau communities alongside them. Each page explains one dish: what it is, where it comes from and where to eat it.
New to Sabah food? Start with Sabah Traditional Food: 10 Dishes to Know.
Sabahan Chinese (Hakka)
Tuaran mee is a Sabah noodle dish of hand-made egg noodles fried hard in a wok until springy and slightly crisp, served with char siu, choy sum and egg roll. It comes from the town of Tuaran, north of Kota Kinabalu.
Sabahan Chinese
Beaufort mee is a 'wet' fried noodle from the town of Beaufort in south-west Sabah: springy egg noodles tossed in a hot wok, then finished in a garlicky gravy with char siu or chicken and crunchy greens.
Sabahan Chinese (Hakka)
Ngiu chap ('mixed beef' in Hakka) is a Kota Kinabalu beef noodle soup with brisket, tendon, tripe and beef balls in a spiced broth, served with noodles either in the soup or dry on the side.
Sabahan Chinese
Sang nyuk mee is a Sabah pork noodle dish: noodles with marinated sliced pork and a pork-bone broth, served either as a soup or dry with dark soy and the broth on the side. It was first made in Tawau.
Kadazan-Dusun
Linopot is rice, usually hill rice or a mix with sticky rice, wrapped in a doringin, tarap or banana leaf into a neat parcel. It is the traditional Kadazan-Dusun, Murut and Rungus way to carry and serve rice with side dishes.
Kadazan-Dusun
Pinasakan (pinaasakan sada) is a Kadazan-Dusun dish of fish, often mackerel scad, simmered without oil in a sour broth of takob akob fruit, turmeric and salt until the liquid reduces and the fish keeps for days.
Kadazan-Dusun
Hinava is a Kadazan-Dusun dish of raw fish cured in lime juice and tossed with chilli, shallot, ginger and grated bambangan seed. It is fresh, sour and sharp, and it's served as a side with rice.
Kadazan-Dusun
Tuhau is a pungent Kadazan-Dusun and Murut relish made from the stems of a wild ginger (Etlingera coccinea), chopped and mixed with chilli, lime or vinegar and salt. It is eaten in small amounts with rice and fish.
Kadazan-Dusun
Bambangan is a large wild mango (Mangifera pajang) native to Borneo, with rough brown skin and bright yellow-orange flesh. In Sabah it is best known pickled with salt and its own grated seed, as a sour relish for rice.
Bajau
Latok is an edible seaweed (Caulerpa lentillifera) made of tiny green bead-like bubbles that pop in the mouth. On Sabah's coasts it is eaten raw with lime, chilli and shallot as a salad.
Kadazan-Dusun
Hinompuka is a Kadazan-Dusun steamed rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and palm or brown sugar, wrapped in banana leaf. It is sweet, chewy and fragrant, and especially associated with the Kadazan of Penampang.