Crispy snack makes a comeback

The Star

03-07-2025

MELAKA: In a state steeped in history lies a nearly forgotten snack called inang-inang – a round, crispy cracker that boasts historical significance.
Made from rice – usually the glu­tinous variety – which is compressed, sun-dried and fried, this village delicacy was 'invented' by mothers of a bygone generation who cleverly repurposed leftover rice, creating a snack that their families could enjoy.
Traditionally prepared in red, green, orange and yellow hues, this once-favourite treat of the locals is now unfamiliar to many young people.
Fortunately, inang-inang seem­ed to have been given a new lease on life through events such as Visit Melaka 2024, World Tourism Day 2025 and Visit Malaysia 2026, which are bringing the snack back into the spotlight – not merely as a treat but as part of Melaka's heri­tage that deserves to be remembered.
Inang-inang producer and distributor Siti Aisha Ismail, 46, admits that without these tourism campaigns, the traditional snack might have been lost to time, even though it is widely sold at tourist hotspots here, such as Banda Hilir and in handicraft markets around Ayer Keroh, as well as in Simpang Ampat in Alor Gajah.
Twenty-five years ago, Siti Aisha took over the family- run business from her mother and grandmother.
The snack comes in red, green, orange and yellow hues. — Bernama
'The rice is soaked overnight, then steamed for half an hour before food colouring is added. Once cooled, the rice is shaped into circles using a special mould.
'During my mother and grandmother's time, it was done by hand,' she said, adding the mould was created 15 years ago to speed up the shaping process.
'It's not that we don't want to use machines (to make inang-inang), we've done experiments and research, but there's no mach­ine suitable for this due to the sticky nature of glutinous rice,' she told Bernama.
According to Siti Aisha, the most challenging part of making inang-inang is the drying process, as weather conditions play a crucial role in ensuring the rice crac­k­ers dry properly without breaking or cracking.
'The crackers need to be sun-dried for three days in an open area so that sunlight and wind can reach the drying racks without obstruction.
'If it rains, we use a drying room with heaters but it's very risky because the inang-inang might become brittle, develop mould or smell bad if the tempe­rature is not well controlled.'
Siti Aisha added that although inang-inang is becoming less known among the younger generation, there is still demand for it, especially to be given away as a door gift at events like weddings.
She uses at least four tonnes of glutinous rice to meet her production needs for 30 days.
Her company produces three variations of the product: inang pulut, inang pulut hitam and inang sagu.
Melaka Culture and Arts Department director Ezlina Elias said while there is no clear documentation on the origins of inang-inang, the word itself refers to a royal court attendant, specifically, a companion or caretaker to the children of royalty or nobility.
There may be a connection bet­ween the royal court and inang-inang as it was long consumed by the common folk before eventually becoming a light snack enjoyed by royalty and nobility.
'This assumption is based on how it is made – using simple, natural ingredients that are easily found in every household kit­chen. The snack was likely first created by local farmers then later popularised, reinvented or perhaps introduced to palace cooks who made it into a leisure- time snack,' she said.
Several youths said they have come across inang-inang at handi­craft stalls or received it as a door gift, but were unaware of its heri­tage.
Nur Khadeja Nazim, 23, said she once received the rice crackers, packaged alongside dodol and belacan, as a door gift, but didn't know its name or how it is prepared.
'I was never exposed to this food growing up,' she said.
'Even though my father's kampung is in Melaka, we've never eaten inang-inang. I recei­ved it as a souvenir once but gave it to a colleague because I didn't know how to eat it.'