Asia

Snacks from Brunei

Brunei's snack table is Malay kuih with a courtly overlay: kelupis glutinous rice in nyirik leaves, penyaram's fried palm-sugar discs, wajid sticky rice cooked with coconut until it sets into slabs. Ambuyat, the sago starch dip, is a meal that leaks into snacking when people pull strands at gatherings. Pulut panggang and satay show up at night markets in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Updated August 27, 2026

Signature snacks
Penyaram, Kelupis, Wajid, Pulut panggang
Flavor palette
palm sugar, glutinous rice, coconut
When people snack
kuih after Friday prayers and night-market satay
What travelers buy
wajid, penyaram the day they are fried, packaged kelupis if sealed

What to try first

Penyaram is the shape you remember: a fried disc with a lacy edge, palm sugar in the batter, sold while it still crackles. Kelupis is the leaf bundle you unwrap at a house, glutinous rice that tastes of the nyirik more than of a factory. Wajid is denser, sweeter, the piece you wrap in plastic for tomorrow.

Night markets add satay and grilled pulut. Ambuyat stays on the dining table, a sago ritual with dipping sauces, mentioned here because visitors confuse it with a snack when it is really a sit-down starch. Pack wajid and tin bahulu. Fried penyaram fades by morning. Do not describe this as generic Malaysian kuih without naming kelupis and penyaram.

Questions about snacks from Brunei

What sweets is Brunei known for?

Penyaram, kelupis, wajid, and Hari Raya kuih bahulu. Night markets add pulut panggang and satay.

Is ambuyat a snack?

It is usually a meal: sago starch twirled into sauces. Gatherings can make it feel snack-like, but it is not candy.

What Bruneian kuih travels?

Wajid and baked bahulu. Leaf-wrapped kelupis and fried penyaram are short-lived.

From the journal

No tasting reviews from Brunei yet. This page is the research hub. When we eat something from here, the note will land in the journal and on this page.