In a world teeming with diverse cultures and hidden gems, the spirit of adventure calls us to step outside our comfort zones and immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of life beyond our familiar surroundings. Work brought me to Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, home of the Komodo dragon, fiery volcanoes, and the delicious Nasi Goreng. This fried rice dish, mixed with vegetables, chicken, or seafood, gets its real kick from authentic Indonesian seasonings that make it truly mouth-watering!
I am not fond of spicy food, but I can tolerate chili oil and a little spice on my fried chicken and noodles. When we arrived in Ciamis, West Java, my taste buds were welcomed by sambal. It is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste made from various chili peppers, which grow abundantly almost everywhere in Indonesia. Unlike the usual chili oil or chili garlic in olive oil found in our kitchens, sambal includes ingredients like shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, ginger, scallions, palm sugar, shallots, and lime juice. The chili peppers are ground together using a mortar and pestle. It is best eaten with rice and makes eating beef satay and Sundanese native fried chicken gastronomically fun!
Afraid that I might not be able to tolerate the spiciness of sambal [sam-bel], I decided to try just a tinge of the oil since it was my first time encountering the paste. As soon as the oil touched the tip of my tongue, it felt like fire spread straight to my chest, making me cough and desperately wanting to douse my mouth with cold water. It was so hot that my chest felt like it was aflame for a few minutes. It was that explosive. Even my travel companions, who enjoy spicy food, had to pause for a few minutes in the middle of eating. They took deep breaths and drank water to neutralize the heat that engulfed their mouths, throats, and chests. Sambal is that wicked!
But that experience did not make us skip sambal. In fact, the hot and spicy paste became a staple in our subsequent meals. Later that same day, during dinner, our hosts from Universitas Galuh, STI West Negros University’s partner, treated us to an authentic Sundanese dinner at one of the famous restaurants in Ciamis. That was the first time we tasted Sundanese fried native chicken topped with meat floss. The native chicken reminded us of our free-range chickens here in Negros—it was so tasty! In Indonesia, fried chicken is called ayam goreng. “Ayam” means chicken, while “goreng” means fried. They also have water spinach, known as kangkung.
Sundanese people eat with their bare hands, and they briefed us beforehand that this was part of their tradition. Eating with bare hands is part of Sundanese and Padang culture. However, they provided utensils just in case we were more comfortable eating with a spoon and fork. Little did they know that they were no different from Pinoys when it comes to enjoying a feast with our bare hands. Between handfuls of nasi (rice) and our favorite ayam goreng and kangkung, we would shout “enak!” or “sedap!” which means delicious, or “namit!” in Hiligaynon. These words would make them all smile, appreciating the feast they had prepared for us.
We eagerly anticipated every meal, as each not only provided us with a gastronomically orgasmic experience but also an educational one. We were grateful to have Nadia and Intani, administrative assistants at UniGal, along with Ratuh, a student aspiring to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration in the near future, accompany us during our spare time to visit sights and go shopping in Ciamis and neighboring cities. These three smart, cheerful, and accommodating young women happily entertained and answered our questions about their food, language, and culture. Nadia and Intani were always by my side whenever I needed to make a purchase, ensuring I didn’t get confused with the currency conversion. One peso is approximately equal to 2.80 IDR (Indonesian rupiah). Believe it or not, we were millionaires (peso-rupiah conversion) for a week in Indonesia. Haha!
Back to makanan talk. “Makanan” is the Indonesian term for food. At suppertime, our very generous host from Universitas Galuh treated us to an authentic Sundanese dinner. There were no chairs. We sat on the floor (Indian squat), our legs parallel to the table that had no legs. We were served with what seemed to be the Sundanese people’s version of our laswa. And of course, we ate with our bare hands! Kinamot as we call it in Hiligaynon. “Kamot” means hand. We were served with a vegetable soup that was similar to our laswa. Sayur asem’s ingredients included long beans, chayote, and corn. “Asem” means sour. Unlike our laswa, which relies on the natural sweetness of fresh and mostly slimy vegetables, “sayur asem” is sour due to tamarind.
Then there’s our favorite, mustofa or what the Americans call shoestring potatoes because of gula halus (palm sugar). Mustofa is made entirely of kentang (potato), cooked in, kapur sirih (betel lime), minyak goreng (palm oil), and cuka masak (vinegar), among other ingredients. It pairs best with spicy beef gepuk, a dish from West Java, Indonesia. Gepuk means crushed. This beef dish is cooked slowly on low heat until the beef is soft and tender, then fried until brown. Its mild sweetness comes from palm sugar, while various herbs and spices make this delicacy very flavorful.
When it comes to fish, their gourami and nila (tilapia) are to die for! Both can be eaten grilled or crispy fried. Either way, they are very savory and best eaten with cobek [cho-bek] (similar to sinamak or spiced vinegar) and kecap [ket-sap], their version of soy sauce but with a consistency similar to our oyster sauce. Most vegetables, like terong (eggplant), are eaten raw, preferably before the main dish or alongside any of the main courses.
Their traditional delicacies, made of sticky rice, saba bananas, coconut, and corn, are also wrapped in either pandan or banana leaves, similar to how we package native delicacies in this part of Southeast Asia. We always looked forward to generous servings of fresh fruits like the juiciest lychees, longgan, dragonfruit, oranges, crunchy grapes, and the exotic snake fruit. A properly ripened snake fruit is dry and crunchy with a taste similar to jackfruit, only less sweet. It is fun to eat, as its peeling is similar to the scales of a snake. Its seeds are not to be eaten.
What we treasured most in all those meals shared with colleagues in the academe and the locals were the stories of their rich culture and the meanings embedded in every delicacy. These meals were thoroughly prepared and served to guests with a spirit of eagerness and joy, reflecting the traditions that define them as a uniquely beautiful community and people.*
