Bubur Lambuk

Even though I grew up in a predominantly Muslim community in Alor Star, I was never exposed to something which I only found out last year, through a popular Malaysian blog. Bubur Lambuk. Heck, what was that? Jeffooi.com the blogger mentioned how delicious his bowl of porridge was which he got free from the Masjid at Kg Baru during last year's fasting month.

And now that I'm working in a local bank, my emails have been beseiged with offers from people selling bubur lambuk. I then asked my Malay colleagues and they explained it was a broth that is cooked with rice, coconut, beef, intestines, prawns, chicken, vege, spices... the list seemed endless! This is usually cooked by mosques all over the country during the fasting month and is distributed free during the breaking of their fast.

Since my office is just beside a famous mosque, I have been tempted to sneak in and grab myself a bowl just to try this out. However, there are a few reasons for holding me back.

Firstly, I am a Chinese. Chinese do not normally step into mosques, especially when it is not for sight seeing. Secondly, I am a girl. Girls are required to wear headscarves and cover themselves when they enter mosques. Thirdly, my intention is to go in a grab food that is meant for those who have fasted the entire day.

I guess I would stick out like a sore thumb.

But I have been told, the most famous bubur lambuk is served at the Kampung Baru Mosque. I read somewhere on the internet that they have started selling bowls of it outside the mosque as part of a tourist attraction during Ramadhan. I may be curious enough to venture there for a RM2 bowl of what would be my first bowl of bubur lambuk.