Thursday 15 September 2011

JAVANESE RICE WRAPPED IN TEAK LEAF. TRADITIONAL RECIPES

JAVANESE RICE WRAPPED IN TEAK LEAF
Javanese cuisine and culture place an important role in rice, the staple food of the island
Among Javanese it is considered not to have a meal if a person hasn't eaten rice yet. It is also important part of identity that differentiate Javanese with foreigners that eat bread (the Europeans) and resident of other island who eat sago (for example Moluccans). Rice is also symbol of development and prosperity, while cassava and tuber is associated with poverty.
Javanese cuisine is varied by regions. Eastern Javanese cuisine has preference for more salty and hot foods. While the Central Javanese prefer sweeter foods
Rice wrapped in teak leaf and the dishes accompanying it
Example of Javanese cuisine. Clockwise: fried tempeh, mlinjo crackers, gudeg with  rice wrapped in  teak leaf, green chili sambal and sliced lime 
Gudeg is a traditional food from Yogyakarta and Central Java which is made from young Nangka (jack fruit) boiled for several hours with palm sugar, and coconut milk.
But the most famous food originated in Java is perhaps tempeh, a meat substitute made from soy bean fermented with mold. It is a staple source of protein in Java and popular in the world as an excellent meat substitute for vegetarians
Tempe
Javanese do not usually have family names or surnames. Many have just a single name. For example, Sukarno or Suharto. Javanese names may come from traditional Javanese languages, many of which are derived from Sanskrit. Names with the prefix Su-,which means good, are very popular. After the advent of Islam, many Javanese began to use Arabic names, especially coast populations, where Islamic influences are stronger. Commoners usually only have one-word names, while nobilities use two-or-more-word names, but rarely a surname.
wikimedia commons –author unknown The traditional Karo Rice Barn
Nederlands: Foto. Een Karo Batak rijstschuur
Generally all over the Nusantara, rice is the staple food for the people
For the Karo people of North Sumatera, rice being the staple food of the region, as well as an important source of income and indicator of wealth, in the size of one's rice barn. The Karo traditionally planted rice once per year, using dry rice (in Indonesian 'ladang') cultivation. 
Rice cultivation has an important role in the traditional Karo religion (known as pemena).

In order to ensure the success of the rice-planting, the Merdang Merdem festival is conducted, paying homage to Beru Dayang, a female spirit also associated with childbirth, a process with which the rice planting is analogised by the Karo
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4 comments:

  1. Wow this was so interesting and the fact that the Javanese only have one name is fascinating. Tempeh is indeed a great food if you are vegetarian....but I guess it's hard to find if you don't live there.

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  2. I learnt how to take tempe only when I was 30yrs old. My bro in law, Javanese etchnic introduced tempe to me. He would fry a bowl thinly sliced and crisp, prepare Javanese style dip..

    Really delicious!

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  3. Tempe is one of my favourites. It's really nice when fried and mixed with chillie sauce and anchovies. It's also said to a brain food.

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  4. I love tempe..in Jawa, for snack they'll eat fried tempe with pickled green chili..as it it..not with rice or anything else..a common snack at any tea stall..

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