Finally, after a very long day at Banghuris Homestay, it was time for the highlight of the event; The Nasi Ambeng Festival 2015, organized by JKKN in conjunction of MyFest2015 and Visit Selangor 2015.
The festival kicks off with some Javanese dance performances.
I am not so familar with the dance, but according to my wife, who is lover for all cultural stuff, this dance is known as Tarian Kuda Kepang or in Javanese, it is called the Tarian Kuda Lumping. It is a traditional Javanese warrior dance
depicting a group of horsemen.
Generally, the dance portrays troops riding the woven horses.
After the dance and the officiating ceremony, it was time to to enjoy the Nasi Ambeng that has been prepared by the villagers. Here is the dancers, presenting a tray of Nasi Ambeng to us all.
So, I’ve been talking alot about Nasi Ambeng. You must be curious on what it is really all about. Well, plainly speaking, Nasi Ambeng is a rice dish consisting plain white rice prepared with chicken curry or chicken cooked in soy sauce, vegetables, fried noodles, some salted fish, fried coconut flesh, and so on. It is a popular Javanese cuisine, especially in every Javanese-Malay communities in Malaysian states of Selangor and Johor and also in Java, Indonesia. Nasi Ambeng is usually served during the festivities or weddings and served in a tray and enjoyed together in a tray by four to five people.
The crowd that night who were there to enjoy Nasi Ambeng.
Nasi Ambeng us meant to be shared with four more people and you are supposed to use your fingers to eat, and we did just that. It was indeed an unforgettable experience and I think such culture should be preserved and be taught to the younger generations in Malaysia. I truly enjoyed the experience and hoped that events such as this one will be an annual affair.