Montoku (drink)
 Montoku being served in glasses, a Dusunic rice wine speciality | |
| Type | Rice wine |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | talak,[1] Sabah moonshine[2] |
| Origin | Sabah, Malaysia, (Interior Division, West Coast Division) |
| Alcohol by volume | 20% to 40%[3] |
| Colour | Clear, transparent |
| Flavour | Very strong, sharp, and potent alcohol taste with a fiery kick |
| Ingredients | Either regular rice, glutinous rice, or sometimes cassava/tapioca mixed with sasad or ragi (yeast) |
| Related products | bahar, lihing and tapai (Sabah), langkau and tuak (Sarawak, Kalimantan, Java, and Sumatra), saguer (Maluku Islands and New Guinea) |
Montoku (also known as talak) is a type of Malaysian rice wine that originates from the state of Sabah. It is a distilled version of another Sabah's rice wine of lihing, made from either regular rice, glutinous rice with sometimes cassava/tapioca mixed with sasad or ragi (yeast), and is a traditional rice wine for the Kadazan-Dusun and Rungus people.[2] It is also referred as talak in certain Dusun dialects and commonly served during various occassions such as Christmas and the Kaamatan.[1][4]
Origin and background
[edit]Similar to lihing, the montoku has been an integral part of tradition among the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun, who are associated with both lowland and upland paddy farming with rice as their main staple.[5][6] The indigenous rice wine production is rooted in the traditional local belief in Bambarayon (Bambaazon), the spirit who protects their paddy fields and ensures a continuous good harvest.[7] It is made through the distillation process from the leftover rice lees of either lihing or tapai rather than directly from rice wine itself with an appearance similar to Sarawak's langkau.[7] Brewers need to follow certain taboos throughout the making process to ensure the taste is not affected.[7] This drink is also popular among the Rungus community in Sabah, with its appearance usually clear and colourless.[8]
Preparation
[edit]It is made throughout the process of cooking rice husks from either the lihing or tapai where the collected steam is channelled into a container.[8] Since the process is through distillation, the alcohol content in montoku is higher.[8] Each indigenous maker has their recipe passed down through families as an heirloom.[7] Most versions use the leftover rice of filtered lihing, while other makers use tapai that has turned sour during fermentation.[7] Some modern creations even come up with varieties of different flavours which are blended with exotic forest fruits such as the bambangan (Bornean wild mango).[5]
Gallery
[edit]
An indigenous Kadazan-Dusun woman is preparing the montoku at the Mari Mari Cultural Village.
Montoku ingredients.
The equipment for the distillation process of montoku.
Montoku in a glass.
See also
[edit]
- Alcohol in Malaysia
- List of alcoholic drinks
- Bahar (drink) – Traditional palm wine of the Dusun from Sabah, Malaysia
- Langkau – Traditional rice wine of the Dayak and Iban from Sarawak, Malaysia
- Lihing – Traditional rice wine of the Kadazan-Dusun from Sabah, Malaysia
- Tapai (drink) – Southeast Asian traditional fermented of rice and alcoholic beverage
- Tuak – Traditional palm or rice wine of Indonesia and Malaysia
References
[edit]- 1 2 Binisol, Lorena (28 May 2023). "Talak-making still in demand". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 Andel, Christopher (2026). "East Malaysia (Borneo) Beer Guide". Beer Asia. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ (Shoesmith et al. 2016, pp. 741–746)
- ↑ Patrick, Ian Jeremiah; Bunyan, John; Chan, Julia; Mok, Opalyn (25 December 2024). "Christmas in the tropics: What does the festival really mean to Malaysian Christians and how do they celebrate it?". The Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026 – via Yahoo! News.
- 1 2 Patrick, Tracy (17 January 2019). "Sabah's rice wine makers go exotic and eye expanding markets". FMT. Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ Koh, Lydia (7 September 2013). "Celebrating the harvests of the field". The Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Chai, Chris (9 January 2026). "Spirits of Southeast Asia: Malaysia [Montoku and Talak]". The ABV Project. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 NA, Ismail (28 January 2024). "Kenali 5 Jenis Arak Tradisional Warisan Masyarakat Sabah" [Get to Know 5 Types of Traditional Liquor from the Heritage of Sabah Community]. ILoveBorneo.my (in Malay). Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
Bibliography
[edit]- Shoesmith, Wendy Diana; Tha, Naing Oo; Naing, Khin Saw; Haji Abbas, Roslee; Abdullah, Ahmad Faris (26 November 2016). "Unrecorded Alcohol and Alcohol-Related Harm in Rural Sabah, Malaysia: A Socio-economically Deprived Region with Expensive Beer and Cheap Local Spirits". Alcohol and Alcoholism. 51 (6): 741–746. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agw005 – via Oxford Academic.
