Sudah makan?

2019 has been a tough one so far. On New Year’s Day, I joined my site-mate, Chelsea, and her family to a cave in our county. It was crowded and there had to be thousands of people, much along the lines of Times Square crowds gathering at the very same time this was occurring. We were yelled at, people took photos of us, and since we had only three hours of sleep the night prior (because hey, it was New Year’s Eve) we were short on patience. Little sleep + hot Indonesian weather + Indonesians staring at you, calling you names, and snapping photos of you = disaster. Although here in Indonesia, there are happy days more often than not. My students are kind, my teachers are friendly and each day gets easier as I adjust to the lifestyles of my family and colleagues, and the culture of the country I have the privilege of living in for the next 23 months. This past week I have reached the 100 day mark, and these last 100 days have flown by and have been full of adventure and friendship.

That’s not why I’m writing this post though, I’m writing this post to talk about food! Food! Glorious food! How shall we begin?

Many conversations here begin with the simple question, sudah makan? meaning, "have you eaten?" Yes, I have eaten, it’s seems like I’m always eating. This country overflows with hospitality like the streets overflowing with water during rainy season, and this simple question of "have you eaten?" is a testament to that.

First, most families in Indonesia, or in Java specifically, wake up early to pray. This is usually around 4 in the morning, depending on the time of the year and geographic location. Following this prayer, known as salat subuh, Indonesians start their day. Most ibu ibu begin cooking for the morning and into the day. Food is cooked for breakfast and lunch. There is not too much of a difference among the different meals of the day. In America, there’s pancakes, egg sandwiches and french toast, then there’s sandwiches and salads, and then you have (idk?) meatloaf, pasta, and other stuff like that... The food cooked early in the morning is kept under a basket-type contraption on the dining table. Rice is usually prepared with a rice cooker that is kept close to the dining table with the "keep warm" setting on and Indonesians eat when they want to, when they’re hungry, and when it’s convenient. I’ve had lunch at 11am and I’ve had lunch at 2pm.

A note on rice: it’s a staple for all socio-economic classes here. It’s prepared in savory food as well as sweet food. Indonesia is the third largest paddy rice producer, and the landscape of East Java has been completely transformed due to its cultivation, meeting the needs of those within the country and outside the country. Also, as a side note, defining a society solely or primarily on the fact that they eat a lot of rice is a trope that should end. Indonesians like to equate their dependency on rice with American’s devotion to bread. But here, when I say I’m from America, people wouldn't go ahead and say, “They eat a lot of bread there right?” right away. Starchy foods are also important, like potatoes, taro, cassava, sweet potato and yams.

Learning about the cuisine of a country and its relationship with historical context, geographic locationm and it’s effect on culture and language is pretty interesting the more you think about it. In English, we have one word for rice: it's rice. There’s rice seeds, rice plants, rice plants, and cooked rice. In Indonesian, there's a word for rice before it’s cooked, there’s a word for when it’s planted, and there’s even a word for the act of cooking rice. Similarly, we have rolls, buns, baguettes, waffles, pancakes, toast, focaccia… you get what I’m saying. In Indonesian, there’s roti, or bread, for all of that. It’s interesting how the importance of a certain staple in one’s diet affects your language. Also, the catchphrase here is “If you haven’t eaten rice, you haven’t eaten”, and Indonesian mother’s stick by this rule: never, never tell an ibu that you only had an apple for breakfast.

PCV Bones learning to plant rice. Photo from PCV Kieran at a selametan, a traditional gathering where those in the community eat, pray and chat together. .

With that, eating spicy food and sweating profusely, which I have yet to get used to, cools you down in warmer climates. In the tropical weather, food tends to go bad much quicker, but add some chili and spices, and it’s prevented from spoiling. Spices also have anti-microbial properties. Sambal is prepared by using a tool similar to a mortar and pestle and grinding chili peppers, garlic, ginger, shallots, palm sugar, lime, and vinegar. Food is often prepared by being fried in palm oil, or grilled over a fire. One dish I think Westerners are familiar with the most is sate, or satay, which is skewered meat that is grilled then served with a peanut-based sauce. Most meat eaters enjoy chicken, goat, or fish.

Traditionally, Javanese like to eat with the first three fingers of their right hand. If hands aren’t being used, then you’re given a spoon. Eating long, stringy noodles with a spoon is difficult, trust me. I usually don't eat with a fork or a knife. Traditionally, and one thing I find interesting, gathering at the dinner table for dinner isn’t common. It’s also not common for people to talk while they eat. So while American’s value the conversation around the dinner table every night, those in Java enjoy the silence while eating. Enough of that boring info though, let’s get to the good stuff. Below are some of my favorites dishes or foods here in Indonesia:

Tofu sate with rice and green beans, fried rice with krupuk, and nasi pecel with some noodles added

Krupuk (crew-poo)

Krupuk is the closest thing to bread served with dinner. It’s a deep fried cracker, usually made from rice or cassava. Crunchy and crispy and served in different shapes and sizes, it’s a delicious addition to dishes, and also helps with the paralyzing spiciness of some meals.

Pecel, or nasi pecel (nah-see puh-chel)

Includes a mixture of vegetables with rice and a peanut sauce. It’s flavorful, with many different components in the sauce and more popular in the morning or during the day.

Gado-gado

The closest thing you can get to a salad here. It includes lettuce, boiled veg like carrots and green beans, sprouts, with boiled potatoes and rice cooked in bananas leaves. That’s all served with a peanut sauce, tofu and tempeh, and is different than pecel.

Tahu dan tempe: fried, grilled or sate style

Vegetarians rejoice! Tofu (or tahu) and tempeh are so popular here, and prepared in so many interesting and delicious ways. Americans, take note. I've had it steamed, grilled, fried… and it’s all so, so good.

Buah (boo-ah)

There truly is an abundance of fresh tropical fruits here. I never knew how much I loved mango until I arrived in country, which was during the peak of mango season. Rambutan is a hairy looking fruit that has a taste similar to a plum or a grape. Salak, or Snake Fruit, looks like garlic on the inside of its scaly shell but has a mild sweetness to it. Dragon fruit is so aesthetically pleasing, but doesn’t have too much flavor. I’ve already tried durian, which is revolting, jackfruit also isn’t my favorite, and neither is papaya. But mangosteens, starfruit, longan berries, lychees are also fruits I’ve tried and love.

Nasi goreng

This literally translates to fried rice, but it’s not the same as prepared in America. Different ingredients are used, and it's often spicy. Topped with acar, or cucumbers pickled in vinegar, and it’s the go-to when unsure what to eat. I miss the days in Kediri when my host family would take me to their favorite warung and I would order nasi goreng "Hong Kong", tanpa teler, tanpa dating, tidak pedas, every time. The owner knew my order by the time I left.

Es Buah atau Es Kelapa

Okay, I think this was the one Indonesian food dish that I fought for so long but enjoy so much now. It’s essentially iced fruit soup. It’s prepared with water and a flavored syrup, different fruits, ice, and usually some gelatinous fruit flavored component. Sip it with a spoon or just drink it, it’s so refreshing after literally sweating uncontrollably minutes from the spicy meal eaten before.

Minuman (drinks)

Coffee here is usually made from that instant packet stuff, and the grinds get real into your throat as you drink it! Yum! If anyone is thinking about some care package gifts, some Dunkin' coffee would be much appreciated. Hot drinks, like tea, coffee, or a beverage closest to hot orange juice, are sometimes poured in the saucer of the cup then sipped, since it cools the liquid down right away. It’s my preferred way of drinking. Hot drinks also have cute little lids to keep them warm. Cold drinks include jus alpukat, which is like an avocado smoothie, and other random chocolate-y things that are similar to chocolate frappuccinos. Also, people here prefer not to drink cold water, as many think the temperature of the water will make you sick.

Insects

Not on the menu, but usually on the plate. The Peace Corps catchphrase is “beginning of service you pick them out of your food, during service you eat with them in your food, and by the end of service you’re putting them IN your food” (not actually though, it’s a joke). Nothing like looking into your water bottle and seeing dozens of ants floating there, which has happened to me twice while here.

Dragon fruit, green oranges, snake fruit and rambutan

This post barely touched on the cuisine of Indonesia, but I hope it gave you a better taste of it (haha, sorry). Definitely more to come as my adventures trying new things continue. Trying new foods has ended up being a fun game where people give me snack to try, and gather around to see my reaction, which, nine times out of ten, isn’t a great one. Cue the uncontrollable wince and the "well, it's not my favorite". But to also keep things relative, people here are absolutely disgusted at macaroni and cheese, which is comical. As I've gotten more comfortable at site, I've also started cooking for myself some more, so breakfast usually includes toast with jam and peanut butter or some oatmeal. Every Indonesian school also has a canteen, where ibu's prepare delicious home-cooked food out of individual stalls. Not like American school lunches in the slightest. My ibu also prepares dinner for me every night, which is part of my family's agreement as a host family for Peace Corps, however I look forward to cooking some food I am more familiar with as time goes on.

Selamat makan, and enjoy some pasta for me, because I haven’t eaten it since September!

Glossary

Warung - an Indonesian food stall, usually with a teeny-tiny kitchen (usually a burner) and some tables set up

Acar - pickled veggies used as a condiment

Makan - to eat

Minum - to drink

Makanan - food

Minuman - drinks

Kelapa - coconut

Buah - fruit

Tanpa telur, tanpa dating, tidak pedas - without egg, without meat, not spicy