The six-hour journey by land from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to Ciamis in West Java, Indonesia, made us feel like we had never left the Philippines. The scenes along the way were strikingly similar to those back home. Their fields are abundant with rice, cassava, bananas, potatoes, and other crops common in our country. Rice paddies are everywhere. In Indonesia, padi means growing rice plants and the field is called sawah. Beside the roads are tokos, similar to our tiangge or sari-sari stores.
Rice is also a staple in Indonesia. We were served nasi kuning, or Indonesian turmeric rice, for our first meal in Ciamis. Indonesians cook rice in many ways. There is steamed white rice, fried rice or nasi goreng, spiced rice seasoned with jalapeños and fragrant spices which is great with kebabs or grilled lamb, and nasi uduk or fragrant coconut milk rice with pandan, lemongrass, and aromatics, among others.
The best part of traveling is exploring the unique cuisine that reflects the culture of a community. I am adventurous when it comes to food. My curiosity leads me to taste every delicacy before me, as food reflects the distinct treasures of a place.
It is said that one must not leave Indonesia without tasting some, if not all, of its traditional food. These are what I’ve ticked off my list: nasi goreng or fried rice, which is best eaten with sambal, a chili paste/sauce made from various chili peppers ground using a mortar and pestle, and sate, slices of marinated meat grilled on bamboo skewers. The ones served for dinner at Hello Doi Cafe were lamb meat on skewers.
Soto is the Indonesian word for soup. Among the sotos I have tasted during my week-long stay there, is my favorite of the popular street food — a meatball soup called baso [bak-soh]. The best baso is found in “Nagreg”, an unassuming roadside eatery in Bandung, comparable to our simple batchoyan in downtown Bacolod, that are most accessible to and frequented by busy people for a quick meal. The steaming hot broth is rich with smoked beef flavor. Customers can choose the ingredients for their meatball soup, with meatball flavors including telor (egg), pedas (spicy), bawang (garlic), keju (cheese), kukus (smoked beef), and goreng (fried). I had telor, keju, and kukus, and topped my hot soup with lots of bawang goreng (fried garlic) and spring onions. Customers can ask for a free refill of the broth or kaldo as what we call it in Hiligaynon. Enak!!! Sedap! Sinfully delicious!
If there is one dish that gives a tickle to the palate, it is no other than rendang which originated from Minangkabau, West Sumatra. I have eaten rendang before, but not in Indonesia. This spicy and hearty meat dish can be made with either beef or lamb. However, authentic rendang prepared by Indonesians is something every tourist must try when visiting this archipelago of 17,000 islands. The dish offers a mix of spicy and creamy flavors due to the combination of chili and coconut milk. The beef is soft and spoon-tender due to hours of boiling. The meat takes on all the intense tropical aromatics of the coconut, chilies and spices. The coconut milk deepens the flavor with a nutty, buttery sweetness. In one food review I read, it said, “Rendang slows the world down”. Indeed!
When our delegation from STI West Negros University visited Kampung Adat Kuta with our partner, Universitas Galuh, we were served sweet native delicacies mostly made of glutinous rice and bananas. My favorite was ongol-ongol [ong-gol ong-gol], skewered cassava balls glazed with palm sugar. It is similar to our well-loved banana cue. Ongol-ongol is fun to eat as it is soft and chewy.
Aside from its cuisine, Indonesia is also rich in natural resources. The country is home to vast and abundant arable fertile soils. It is one of the world’s major agricultural nations and the world’s largest producer of palm oil.
Kampung Adat Kuta is a conservation area and one of the country’s gems. Its tropical forest is home to a rich biodiversity safeguarded by an indigenous community. In this community, you can find houses on stilts. These houses are part of a green development concept that aims to address challenges brought about by climate change. I will share more about our trip to the heart of the tropical forest in a future article. But offhand, I can say that a day spent in Kampung Adat Kuta is one for the books.
It is a well-known fact that Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia. Indonesia is roughly 87 percent Muslim and about 11 percent Christian, with approximately 242 million Muslims and 29 million Christians living in the country, according to data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs in 2022. The remaining Indonesians are either Hindu, Buddhist, or Confucian.
To our surprise, during an early evening stroll to a restaurant where we were to have dinner with colleagues in the academe, we discovered the only Catholic church in Ciamis – St. John the Baptist Parish. Sunday masses in the parish are attended by about 40 to 100 Catholics. We were warmly welcomed by the community when they saw us inside the church that evening.
What caught our attention as we passed by, outside the fence was the imposing life-sized statue of St. Michael the Archangel known as “The Guardian of the Church”, slaying Satan within the parish premises. We were all clueless that a church was in the same compound where we were taking photos with the beautiful architecture in the background.
Little did we know that a hidden gem was about to unfold: German Katolik Hati Kudus Yesus or the Catholic Heart of Jesus, a four-year-old chapel at Pemuda Street, Ciamis. Pemuda means “young”. This discovery made us all thankful for being there. Indeed, the unexpected gives us the most beautiful experiences and memories. For me, it was like catching a glimpse of how resplendent or glorious it must be when we are called to heaven’s gate. The chapel’s entrance doors are made of intricately carved teak wood. Life-sized statues of Mary and Joseph carrying the baby Jesus greet the faithful as they enter the chapel for prayer and reverence.
The chapel’s interior is a sight to behold. Its painted ceilings can be likened to Michelangelo’s frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Scholars interpret these frescoes as a Neoplatonic representation of essential phases of the spiritual development of humankind.
The main door leads parishioners to the altar, where the Miraculous Medal is the centerpiece, with a frame of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to its left. Votive candles on vertical racks flank the altar as Gregorian chant – a monophonic liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church – fills the air, setting a prayerful atmosphere in the chapel or prayer room.
And there I stood in the middle of the chapel, in awe of the beauty that enveloped me as I carefully studied the paintings on the ceiling, each telling a story about the relationship between humans and God. It felt like I was floating, surrounded by everything that exuded ethereal beauty. It reminded me of one of my favorite songs, “How Great Thou Art,” which speaks of God’s greatness.
This serendipitous moment was God-sent, I am sure. Who would have ever thought that a trip, which was supposed to be purely business in a predominantly Muslim country, would lead us to an unexpected detour where we found ourselves right in front of the only Catholic church in Ciamis?
Indonesia’s cultural and culinary tapestry, enriched by its religious diversity and commitment to environmental conservation, offers an unforgettable experience that captures the essence of its people. The unexpected moments and serendipitous discoveries in our journey made it all the more special, leaving us with beautiful memories and a deeper appreciation of this marvelous country.*
