Kacang Ma is a traditional Sarawakian herbal chicken dish flavored with dried motherwort leaves, heavy ginger, and often rice wine.
The Herb
Not beans: Despite the word “kacang” (which means bean in Malay), it contains no beans at all.
Motherwort: The name comes from the Hakka pronunciation of the motherwort plant (Leonurus sibiricus), a leafy green herb in the mint family.
Origin: Brought to Sarawak by early Hakka Chinese immigrants, it is now a celebrated state specialty. You can read more about its background in this guide on Kacang Ma: Discovering Sarawak’s Signature Herbal Chicken
Kacang Ma（加将麻/伽姜玛）是马来西亚砂拉越（Sarawak）极具特色的传统草本植物，也是当地华人（特别是客家与潮州社群）用来制作益母草鸡（Kacangma酒鸡）的核心食材。它源自客家话的“假青麻”，学名或俗称其实就是中文里的益母草。
核心特点与用途主要成分：
Kacang Ma 指的是干益母草叶，常与土鸡、老姜、麻油和米酒一起烹煮。
产后进补：它是砂拉越妇女坐月子时的必备佳肴，地位类似于西马福建人的麻油鸡或广东人的猪脚姜醋。
主要功效：传统认为具有活血调经、排除恶露、促进子宫收缩及纾解经痛的作用，也是平时妇女强身健体的进补小吃。
独特风味：带有益母草特有的微甘苦味以及浓郁的米酒和姜香味。
