History and back ground
Lihing Nilyn is a traditional home made rice wine , which originated from Penampang, Sabah has become popular among the tourist as souvenir item for them to bring back. The founder of Lihing Nilyn is Ms. Honilin Pudin (born in 1948, Mac 1st), has been making Lihing for the past 49 years, since she was 15 years old. The traditional method of lihing making was inherited from her grandparents for centuries that were pass from one generation to the next. The rice wine were well kept in a ceramic jar (Bunduon in Kadazan) for months and only served to their guest during special occasion such as harvest festival and wedding ceremony. The longer the rice wine is kept, the better and stronger taste it become. Rice wine is not only served as an alcohol beverage but also to add zest to the food, such as Lihing Chicken, which is normally served to women after giving birth. According to the elderly, by consuming a bit of Lihing, it will give her better blood circulation and body metabolism so that they will not get sick easily during the confinement period as well as to keep them warm.