{"id":90,"date":"2024-12-15T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/?p=90"},"modified":"2026-06-11T08:57:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T00:57:02","slug":"linopot-of-sabah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/linopot-of-sabah\/","title":{"rendered":"Linopot, the Traditional Leaf-wrapped Rice of Sabah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rice is the staple food of Malaysians, who may see rice as something ordinary. However, rice holds a special place in Borneo. Kadazandusun people, the largest indigenous group of Sabah, believe that rice has soul because the presence of paddy spirits, Bambarayon<\/em>. Linopot <\/em>(or Hinopot<\/em>) is rice being packed and wrapped nicely in a big leaf<\/strong>, a traditional takeaway of Sabah natives. The word “Linopot” means packing in Dusun language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Left:<\/a>
Left: Bobolians (High Priest) of Kadazandusun appease the paddy spirits to pray for a bountiful harvest. Right: Linopot (Black hill paddy) and its dishes (Tuhau, Bambangan, Salted fish, Sayur Losun and Kantan, Sayur bunga betik and pucuk ubi)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In old days, before plastic food containers are common, farmers and villagers, who left home for long hours to work in farm or forest, would bring Linopot with them as lunch pack. Rice packed in Linopot can last for days without going rancid. After unwrapping, the leaf is used as an eco-friendly plate and need no washing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Linopot<\/a>
Linopot is the traditional take-out of Sabah people, the wrapping leaf can be used as a plate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I know a 90-year-old Kadazan man who used to work at his father\u2019s shop in Kasigui. In the old days, before the highway to the interior was built, natives from Tambunan would walk for two to three days along rugged mountain trails (a.k.a. Salt Trails) to Penampang to trade and buy supplies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Linopot\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His shop was a rest stop for these travelers, who usually journeyed in groups of about ten. During their long trek, they would carry a few linopot in their backpacks, eating them on the go like bread. Sometimes, they would add salt or bosou<\/a> to the linopot for extra flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rice of Linopot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In traditional preparation, hill paddy was mostly used in Linopot<\/strong>, and the rice can be mixed with other starchy crops such as yam, to create different types of rice like the following (Note: Nasi<\/em> means Rice in Malay language):<\/p>\n\n\n\n