Sabah Tapai (Rice Wine)

Tapai — fermented glutinous rice wine produced by Kadazan-Dusun communities in Sabah — is Malaysia's most distinctive indigenous alcoholic drink, ranging in strength from mildly effervescent to genuinely potent depending on fermentation duration. At Sabah cultural festivals and longhouse visits, refusing tapai offered by a host is considered impolite, and accepting it creates a social bond of considerable warmth.