tungku

Tungku is a term with multiple uses in Malay-speaking regions. It most commonly denotes a traditional cooking stove used across parts of Southeast Asia. A tungku is typically made of clay or metal and sits on legs or a raised platform. Charcoal or wood is burned in a central fire pit, and pots or pans are placed on supports above the flame. In rural households, the tungku has long been associated with everyday cooking, slow simmering dishes, and traditional food preparation. While modern stoves have largely supplanted tungkus in urban settings, they remain in use in villages and are preserved in cultural demonstrations and heritage cooking practices.

Geographically, the name Tungku is also used as a place name in Brunei and nearby regions. In Brunei, Tungku refers to a toponym used for a mukim (sub-district) and for several settlements within Brunei and adjacent districts. The term appears on local maps and signage in areas associated with these communities.

Linguistically, tungku functions as the Malay and Indonesian word for a stove or brazier, and it appears in historical texts and traditional song or prose that depict domestic life and village customs. The dual usage as both an everyday object and a place name reflects the term’s role in culture and geography across the region.