The Bugis dessert winning fans in Sabah this Ramadan

2026-03-18 - 23:31

‘Ees pisang ijo’ features bananas wrapped in soft green dough and served with chilled sweet coconut milk and ice. (Bernama pic) KOTA KINABALU: As Muslims look for something cool and sweet to break their fast, one traditional Bugis dessert from Indonesia is winning over taste buds in Sabah. Known as “es pisang ijo”, the dessert features bananas wrapped in soft green dough and served with chilled sweet coconut milk and ice – a refreshing combination that has become increasingly popular during Ramadan. Originating from Makassar in Indonesia, the dessert has steadily found its way into Sabah’s Ramadan food scene, where locals enjoy it as a light and cooling treat for “sungkai”, the local term for breaking fast. For entrepreneur Ramlah Djasmail, making es pisang ijo is almost second nature. The 44-year-old learnt how to prepare the dessert as a child while helping her mother run their family business in Makassar. “I started helping my mother sell traditional desserts when I was 12,” she told Bernama, sharing that the recipe she uses today has been passed down through generations. “In Makassar, es pisang ijo is especially popular during Ramadan because people want something cold and sweet for breaking fast.” The preparation is relatively simple and relies on basic ingredients such as wheat flour, coconut milk, margarine, sugar and a pinch of salt. Ramlah is grateful that the dessert continues to receive encouraging support from the local community. (Bernama pic) The bananas – usually pisang raja, pisang berangan, or local Sabah varieties – are wrapped in green dough before being steamed. Once cooked, the rolls are sliced and served in bowls with sweet coconut milk and shaved ice, creating a dessert that is both creamy and refreshing. Ramlah believes the dessert’s growing popularity in Sabah is largely due to its light and cooling qualities. “After fasting all day, customers prefer something that feels refreshing rather than heavy,” she said. Demand has been strong this Ramadan, with Ramlah producing more than 100 pisang ijo rolls daily, which equates to about 300 servings once prepared. Each serving is sold for between RM9 and RM10.