Call it nasi hempit, nasi impit, nasi kapit or ketupat. It is all the same. Compressed or compact rice.

This traditional dish which is popular during the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri season.

Originally nasi hempit or ketupat is wrapped in coconut leaf-woven casing.

But these days of convenience, you can buy instant nasi hempit wrapped in plastic bag from your neighborhood kedai runcit (grocery shop).

Personally, if I know it plastic wrapped ketupat, I WOULD NOT eat it.

This Hari Raya, my Malay neighbor gave me a couple of plastic-encased nasi hempit and some serunding daging (beef floss).

No to offend my good neighbor, I accepted them, but I discreetly tossed the compressed rice away. I just  kept the beef floss.

As you know plastic can leach (seep) when it is boiled in high temperature, and it can be carcinogenic (the ability to cause the development of a cancer).

I do not know whether those instant plastic-bag nasi impit is safe to eat or not. So, why put my health at risk for this carbohydrate-filled food?

We should keep nasi hempit in its traditional way; beautifully wrapped in woven coconut leaves.

Similarly, nasi daun pisang (banan leaf rice) should served on clean authentic banana leaves.