Skip to main content

Farming

tiffin basket

tiffin basket

Sammua is a traditional two-piece bamboo tiffin carrier used by Rohingya farmers, cow herders, woodcutters, and other rural labourers working in fields and forests of rural Arakan. To pack a sammua, the bottom half is lined with a leaf (often a banana leaf but can vary in kind), then cooked rice is placed in the leaf and a dry curry placed on top of the rice, or in the second leaf. The ends of the leaf are then folded over the food to keep it warm, and the top half of the sammua fitted tightly over the top. The leaf layer protects the food, prevents leakage, and also infuses the rice with a pleasant scent. Sammua is one of the most complex basket items produced by the Rohingya and are made by specialized basketmakers. They can be made in different sizes.

Assig. Object
basket
English Name
tiffin basket
Rohingya Name
sammua
Authorship
Nurul Islam
Main Category
Farming
Collection Category
Basketry
Farming tools
Household
Function Category
Culinary
Household Item
Inventory Number
BSK0088