Lemang tape or the Minang people call it tapai consists of two lemang foods and tape. Lemang is made from glutinous rice which has been given coconut milk and cooked in bamboo. Before being put into bamboo, bamboo is covered with roasted banana leaves.

In Bukittinggi, on a normal day you can find Tapai in Picai Sikai, in Panorama. In addition to selling pecel, this stall also sells tang lamang. One portion of tapai lamang, containing two slices of glue measuring 1.5 cm and a diameter of 6 cm, then doused with tape. Tape is made from fermented black sticky rice, so it tastes sweet.

Lamang tapai, not a snack that is easily found on an ordinary day in Bukittinggi. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, tapai can be purchased at the bottom market. Buyers can buy only Lemang or Lemang and tape. Lemang sold in certain sizes according to the wishes of the buyer, for example a length of 6 cm, worth Rp 5,000.

Lamang is more durable than tape, so some sellers only sell lemang, especially during the fasting month. Lemang can be eaten with durian and banana compote. While the tape is getting longer, the alcohol content in it is getting higher, so this type of food is rarely sold on a normal day, because it must be used up soon.


Lamang cooked using low heat. The 6-8 cm bamboo that contains sticky rice and coconut milk is carefully cooked, and regularly rotated, so that the sticky rice in the bamboo cooks evenly. My brother once told me, in Nagari Gaduik, three days before Eid, some residents made lemang. They gathered in one of the gardens, made a small stove to cook lemang. Everyone has their own duties and schedules to guard and turn the lemang carefully, and to keep the fire burning and stable, because the cooking time for lemang can take time from morning to evening.

Even though they have spent a long time cooking, sometimes the results of the Lemang are not as expected, for example some of the Lemang is not cooked or hard. Hard lemang means getting too much heat from the fire, while immature lemang is located at the top, which is far from the fire. Lemang is good, if cooked evenly and if pressed feels soft.

The taste of tapai itself is between sweet and sour, but of course it is very delicious when eaten. The aroma of ferries from tapai black sticky rice arouse the taste of anyone who wants to eat this culinary.

Lamang Tapai is commonly found during religious holidays, and traditional celebrations of the local people. Lamang Tapai is also often found when the month of Ramadan arrives. (*)