Huntara Residents in Agam Preserve Marandang Tradition to Welcome Eid

Residents affected by disasters living in temporary housing (huntara) in Kayu Pasak, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, continue to uphold the Marandang tradition of cooking rendang as a mandatory dish on the first day of Eid, even under very limited conditions.

At the huntara location, residents utilise simple cooking equipment from aid, such as gas stoves and small pots, to prepare rendang. The Marandang activity is carried out in each household’s kitchen.

“Marandang is a tradition for us; if we don’t do it, we’ll feel sad because we’re used to doing it every year. If we don’t do it this year, it won’t feel like a holiday,” said Imis.

The 37-year-old woman explained that every year she cooks five kilograms of meat, but due to limitations in equipment and funds, she only uses 1.5 kilograms of meat this time. Part of it is meat from aid provided by donors to the huntara residents.

Not far from Imis’s home, another resident, Roza, was seen busy stirring half-cooked rendang.

Despite economic limitations due to the disaster, Roza admitted to deliberately setting aside the cash aid she received to preserve the Marandang tradition. The wok she uses is a regular one, not the iron wok that can help bring out the distinctive aroma of rendang.

“We still do Marandang because it’s a tradition. There is money given by people, so we buy (meat). If guests come to the house, it’s impossible not to have rendang,” she said.

The flash floods, landslides, floods, and tornadoes that struck Agam at the end of November 2025 resulted in 165 deaths.

The highest number of victims came from Palembayan Subdistrict with 136 deaths. As many as 117 households inhabit the Kayu Pasak huntara.