Tuak, a quietly enduring tradition of Sarawak, is appreciated today in both its ancient form and modern iterations
In Sarawak, tuak (traditional fermented rice wine) is most commonly brewed from glutinous rice. A fixture of Gawai (the harvest festival), longhouse gatherings and rites of passage, it is a vessel of memory as much as flavour. But in recent years, this quietly enduring tradition has begun to shift and evolve.
Across Malaysia, a new generation of makers is rediscovering tuak, reframing it for contemporary palates and contexts. Among them is The Rasa Family, a Kuching-based, family-run brand co-founded by Martiana Chia.
For the 26-year-old, the story begins in childhood, watching her Bidayuh grandmother, Margaret Dobin Anak Rasa, at work, brewing the family’s 150-year-old recipe that has been passed down through generations.
“I remember watching my grandmother brew tuak very quietly and patiently,” she reminisces. “Everything she did felt slow and intentional, from preparing the rice to bottling.”
As Martiana grew older, she noticed the practice becoming less common; its continuity less certain.
“It wasn’t one big moment, but more of a realisation over time. I started noticing fewer people still doing it the way my grandmother did. That’s when it hit me that this tradition could slowly disappear if no one continues it,” she explains.
Learning to brew tuak became, in a way, an act of stewardship – an effort to hold on to knowledge passed down through generations, not as nostalgia, but as something living.
For The Rasa Family, this philosophy translates into a careful balance, with the brewing itself remaining rooted in tradition, following the methods Martiana learnt from her grandmother.
The process begins with preparing the glutinous rice, followed by pounding handmade yeast balls, and mixing them into the cooked grains.
“Then, we let this sit and ferment for up to two weeks, until natural alcohol develops, and the rice turns soft and mushy,” shares Martiana.
After this initial fermentation, she boils a sugar solution and adds flavourings such as sliced ginger or apples. “Finally, let the sugar/flavoured water cool, and pour it into a vessel of fermentation to ferment again for another two to three weeks, depending on taste,” she says.
Orders are primarily placed via the brand’s Instagram account, with select items also stocked at the Borneo Cultures Museum in Kuching. Prices range from $11 to $14 (RM35-45) per 350ml bottle, and $20 to $24 (RM65-75) per 700ml bottle.
With The Rasa Family, Martiana hopes to shift perceptions and show that tuak can be appreciated in a more thoughtful way.
“It’s about protecting its essence. The core process, the knowledge from our elders, and the cultural meaning behind it should always stay intact,” she says.
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