Ketupat (Indonesian and Malay pronunciation: kəˈt̪upat̪̚) is a type of compressed rice cake commonly found across Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Timor-Leste, southern Thailand and Cham community in Cambodia and southern Vietnam. It is traditionally made by filling a pouch woven from young palm leaves with rice, which is then boiled until the grains expand and form a firm, compact mass. Ketupat is typically served as an accompaniment to meat, vegetable or coconut milk-based dishes and is widely prepared for festive and ceremonial occasions. The dish is known by various regional names, including kupat (Javanese and Sundanese), tipat (Balinese), katupat (Banjar), katupa (Tetum), katupa’ (Makassarese), topat (Sasak) and katupek (Minangkabau), among others. Similar preparations are found in other Austronesian regions, such as patupat and puso in the Philippines as well as katupat in the Pacific islands, particularly in Guam.

Beyond its role as a staple and festive dish, ketupat carries deep symbolic and ritual significance across the region. It is most closely associated with the Islamic celebration of Eid al-Fitr (known regionally as Lebaran or Hari Raya), during which it is often prepared in large quantities and shared among family, neighbours and guests. Beyond Islamic traditions, ketupat also appears in Balinese Hindu temple offerings, traditional healing practices and seasonal rites marking harvests and ancestral veneration. It plays a role in multiple belief systems, including Christianity and various indigenous spiritual practices.

Numerous regional variations of ketupat exist, differing in the type of rice used, wrapping materials, preparation methods and accompanying dishes. These include triangular ketupat palas, pandan-wrapped katupa', alkaline-boiled ketupat landan and vegetable-filled ketupat jembut. Ketupat is also featured as a central ingredient in a variety of local dishes such as ketoprak, kupat tahu, ketupat sotong and ketupat kandangan.

The exact origin of ketupat is not clearly documented, and there is no definitive evidence identifying where or when the dish was first developed. In some Austronesian languages, the term kupat is thought to derive from epat, meaning "four", possibly in reference to the four-sided shape of the woven rice pouch. This linguistic connection suggests that the concept of wrapping rice in leaves may have developed across multiple regions or been shared through cultural exchange within the Austronesian-speaking world. The widespread use of similar terms and preparation methods reflects a common cultural heritage in which rice and leaf-wrapping hold both practical and symbolic importance.

In the Philippines, leaf-wrapped rice cakes take several regional forms that reflect both cultural traditions and local ingredients. In the northern region of Ilocos, a variant known as patupat is prepared during the sugarcane harvest season. Classified as a type of suman, patupat is distinctive for its use of intricately woven palm leaf pouches filled with unsoaked glutinous rice (malagkit), which are simmered in freshly extracted sugarcane juice. Once cooked, the pouches are hung to drain over the cooking vessel. The sugar-rich liquid not only imparts a sweet flavour but also acts as a natural preservative, allowing patupat to be stored for several days.

Further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Chamorro people prepare katupat, a diamond- or square-shaped rice pouch woven from coconut fronds and boiled until compact. Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggests that both rice cultivation and katupat production were established before Spanish colonisation in the seventeenth century. Closely resembling ketupat, this tradition reflects the deep Austronesian roots of leaf-wrapped rice practices. Early Spanish records also highlight the craftsmanship of Chamorro women in weaving coconut leaves into both decorative and utilitarian items, including katupat containers.

Beyond its role as food, katupat also holds ceremonial and symbolic significance. In Chamorro tradition, Laso Fu’a, a rock outcrop in Fouha Bay, is considered the cradle of creation for the people of the Mariana Islands, and in some accounts, for all of humankind. Chamorros have begun returning to this sacred site to offer prayers and gifts, including katupat, as a gesture of reverence and to ask permission to enter Guam.

Early written evidence of leaf-wrapped rice-based foods in Island Southeast Asia appears in the travel records of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, who visited the Srivijaya realm in the seventh century. In his account of the “islands of the Southern Sea”, likely referring to parts of the Malay Archipelago, Yijing described monastic feasts during religious fast days in which hosts served rice and rice cakes on large plates made by sewing leaves together. These leaf plates were sometimes as wide as half a mat and could accommodate generous portions of food. Guests were served multiple types of dishes, with boiled rice and cakes often portioned in quantities large enough to satisfy several people, reflecting a strong tradition of communal dining.