MY FIRST ENCOUNTER with kebebe was unremarkable.
The item was packed in a small, fogged plastic container and displayed in an obscure corner of Lenggong’s Ramadan market, overshadowed by rows of bright, colourful kuih. The ingredients looked suspiciously coleslaw-like, that obligatory cold side dish that I had never liked. I passed by the stall without much thought.
A year later, I returned to Lenggong for kebebe. This time drawn by curiosity and a wave of social media buzz about one of Malaysia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage foods.[1] That decision led me on a small expedition; from the bustling local markets, to a community kitchen and the wilderness of Sungai Perak.
Origins of Kebebe
Kebebe is a culinary heritage of the Malay-Pattani communities of Lenggong, Hulu Perak, and is believed to have existed for over a century.[2] To trace its roots, I spoke with a local historian, Mohd Razali Ahmad, fondly known as Pak Su. As it turned out, the dish was born from practicality and ingenuity.
