Another web page you can know about local food in Sarawak and Sabah and the meanings of Borneo...

• http://www.asiarooms.com/en/community/guest-articles/sabah-top-10-food/
• http://blog.sarawaktourism.com/2012/08/sarawak-top-10-iconic-food.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Malaysia

Hinava Sabah

Hinava is a traditional native dish for the Kadazan-Dusun people in the states of Sabah. It was made from fish and mixed with lime juice, bird’s eye chili, slice shallots and grated gingers. While the Kadazan are famous with their Hinava tongii.

Pinaasakan Sabah

Pinaasakan is a special traditional dish of Kadazan-Dusun of Sabah;  the contents are mainly fish (ikan basung).To make the dish, the ikan basung is to be heated to boil (added ingredients include a little bit of other seasoning ingredients like salt, seasoning powder etc) till it is dry.  It is flavoured with takob-akob, a sour fruit.  I personally think this particular fruit is one that makes the taste so unique.

Ambuyat Sabah

Ambuyat is a dish derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm. It is a starchy bland substance, similar to tapioca starch. Ambuyat is a local delicacy in Brunei, as well as the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and also the federal territory of Labuan where it is sometimes known aslinut.Ambuyat is eaten with a bamboo fork called a chandas, by rolling the starch around the prongs and then dipping it into a sauce, of which there are many varieties.There is a similar dish in eastern Indonesia called papeda.

Bubur Pedas Sarawak

One of the popular dishes for the breaking of the fast in Sarawak has to be bubur pedas, which is only availbe during Ramadan. This uniquely Sarawakian dish is a favourite not only among muslim but also other communities. Curry-like in colour and with thick consistency, this congee is normally packed with vegetables and meat. It is called bubur pedas because of the addition of spicies known as bumbu. The main ingredients of bumbu are garlic, ginger, shallots, onions, dried chilli turmeric, lemon grass, galangal and grated coconut. All the ingredients need to be dried under the sun for half day and then mixed together with rice, which will be fried without cooking oil to extract the aroma. The mixture would then be pounded or blended until it becomes powdery. When the bumbu is ready , it has to be soaked in water for at least 15 minutes before it goes into the pot to make the stock. Bubur pedas should be thick so the amount of water used is based on the portion of ingredients. Once the stock has boiled, ingredients such as carrots , potatoes , leafy greens , mushroom, bean curd , bamboo shoots , turmeric leaves , long beans , dried shrimp and meat are added along with seasoning.

Kek Lapis Sarawak

Kek Lapis Sarawak is a layered cake, traditionally served in Sarawak, Malaysia on special occasions. In the Malay language, they are known as Kek Lapis Sarawak, Kek Lapis Moden Sarawak, Kek Sarawak or Kek Lapis. They are often baked for religious or cultural celebrations such as Eid ul-Fitr,Christmas,Deepavali, birthdays and weddings. People in Malaysia practice an open house on festival day. A unique feature of Sarawak’s open houses is the modern layered cakes.

Ayam Pansuh Sarawak

Ayam pansuh is typical among the people in Sarawak, Malaysia. Ayam pansuh is a dish prepared by cooking chicken meat in a bamboo and stuffed with water (which later will be the soup), seasonings and covered with tapioca leaves (later could be eaten together with the cooked chicken). The origin of ayam pansuh is not available, but the Ibans and the Bidayuhs (people of Sarawak) always prepare this dish on any celebration days, especially the Gawai Dayak (celebration for the end of harvesting).