Lihing

The lihing has been an integral part of tradition among the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun, who are associated with both lowland and upland paddy farming with rice as their main staple. It is regarded as a variant of tapai, although it diverges due to its fermentation process, which is longer, as lihing appearance exhibits greater translucency.

The key ingredient in the making of lihing wine is the pulut (glutinuous or sticky rice), which is mixed with a local yeast known as sasad. The pulut is first being cooked and needs to be monitored properly to prevent it from being too soft or overcooked. Once cooling, yeast is added, where it is then placed in a tajau (jar) or other earthenware. It is fermented for around three months or longer, where the colour and taste will change significantly as well as the alcohol content, producing a strong result. There are some taboos that have been passed for generations when making the wine, such as not swearing, fighting, talking badly and loudly while preparing it as well as not being allowed to touch any sour ingredients such as lemon fruit to ensure that the taste and quality of the wine are not affected.

The practices of brewing the drink, including tapai, are integral parts of Sabah's local indigenous culture, symbolising their resilience and unity among the communities. In both Sabah and Sarawak of East Malaysia, it is legal for indigenous persons to sell their native alcoholic drinks without a licence, as both lihing and tuak are classified as undistilled liquor, though they may need proper licences when extending the sale to each other's states as well as to West Malaysia.