Food, Drink and Eating: in This Chapter

Food, drink and eating
Unit Topic Chapter 5 2 1 Chapter 5 Activities

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In this chapter:
 The staple (main) food of Indonesia, and therefore Bali, is rice
 Food for the day is prepared in the morning by women
 Ceremonial food is very different from day-to-day food and is often described as being a
feast for the gods
 There are many traditional Balinese drinks but tea, coffee and water are consumed the
most
 Balinese people traditionally eat using their hands and sitting on the floor
 Food is eaten with the right hand as the left hand is thought to be unclean
Food, drink and eating

Indonesia offers a large variety of food and drinks due to its abundance of supplies (fresh fruits
and vegetables and rice). Indonesia is well-known for its abundance of spices (such as cinnamon
and cloves), which have been of interest to many other countries for centuries.
The spice trade initiated trade between Indonesia and the world, and there is even a group of
islands which are known as The Spice Islands. The growth of trade between Indonesia and the
rest of the world opened the country to food and drink influences from many other cultures
(Chinese, Indian, Arabian, Portugese and Dutch).
Rice is not only important to the Indonesian diet but also to the country's trade. Indonesia is said
to have some of the greatest rice growers in the world. Its position near the equator and fertile
soils are ideal for growing rice.
Open-air food markets offer an Indonesian food experience (see image 1). Vendors often cook
their produce (for example meat on skewers cooked on charcoal fires) for passing customers.
This is the local version of fast food. Other foods (meat, fruits and vegetables) are sold for
people to take home. These foods are usually wrapped in banana leaves instead of paper.
Indonesians generally prefer seafood, poultry and eggs. Red meat is not as popular due to the
high percentage of Muslims. Other local delicacies include dogs, monkeys, mice, lizards and
bats. Pork is also eaten by non-Muslims.
Food
Balinese food on a day-to-day basis is fairly simple. There is very little variation to the standard
daily meals of the Balinese people. Daily food is often a mixture of rice, fresh vegetables,
peanuts, sometimes meats and always flavoured with a wide array of spices. Chilli is used in
many dishes.
There are no set mealtimes in Bali. People eat when they are hungry. Food is always prepared in
advance, especially the evening meal which the women of the village prepare in the morning.
The food is then left in pots and covered with palm leaves.
Festive food is very different to day-today food. Ceremonial food in Bali is often described as
being a feast for the gods and often this is a literal description as celebrations are most often for
the gods and spirits. The process of preparing the food is very much a community effort and the
kitchen of the banjar is always a hive of activity. The men will head out early in the morning on
the day of the feast and slaughter an animal for its meat. It is also the men's responsibility to
cook the meat in the temple, whist the women prepare the rice and vegetable dishes to
accompany the meat.
Some common Balinese festive foods include:
 babi guling- roast suckling pig

 betutu bebek- duckling roasted in banana leaf
 nasi goreng- fried rice mixed with meat and vegetables
 lawar- a Balinese salad combining shredded meats, coconut, papaya and spices
 mei goreng- fried noodles
 sate ayam (chicken), babi (pork), goat or turtle meat smothered in peanut sauce, skewered
and cooked.
When the food has been prepared it is divided into portions and some is laid out on a square of
banana leaves as an offering to the gods.
Bali has a wide range of tropical fruits on offer all year round (see image 2). Common fruits
include pineapple, papaya, coconuts, bananas, mangoes and avocados. Other more exotic fruits
include: rambutan (a red and hairy-skinned fruit that tastes like a cross between a grape and a
lychee); durian (a very smelly fruit that has been described as tasting like heaven but smelling
like hell. This fruit is banned in some public places because of its odour); blimbing (a fruit with
green or yellow skin that, when cut in half, has a star shape); and mangosteen (a very sweet fruit
which has a brown, black or purple skin. Its flesh is white and segmented).
The Balinese people like to be able to use every part of a plant. A prime example of this is their
uses for the coconut (see animation). Every part of the coconut tree has a purpose and a use in
the Balinese lifestyle. The tree's palms have oil in them which can be extracted and used for
cooking oil and lamp oil. The oil is also used to sweeten drinking water. The leaves are used for
wrapping food when cooking, at markets or to wrap offerings to the gods. The flesh of the
coconut is used in a lot of cooking. The wood of the coconut tree trunk is a valuable resource in
the construction of homes, buildings and furniture. The tree's flower buds are used for their gum
(a sticky substance within the flower, similar to sap). Once this gum is extracted it is used in the
production of palm beer, a local drink.
Many Balinese have strong spiritual beliefs. Food is often used as an offering to the gods and
beautifully prepared packages of food can often be seen at temples and shrines around Bali.
Offerings are presented daily to gods and spirits, especially to the rice goddess (Dewi Sri) whose
shrines stand in the middle of the flooded rice fields. Offerings are used to request blessings for a
successful crop.
Drink
Bali has many traditional drinks made from local produce (see image 3). Iced juices using any
one of their many tropical fruits are very popular, especially amongst tourists. These exotics
mixes are often called the 'nectar of the gods'. Water, tea and coffee are consumed by the local
Balinese. As tea is produced locally, there are many variations.
Es campur is a lumpy and brightly-coloured drink made from a number of local fruits. It is a very
sweet drink that combines shaved ice, palm sugar syrup, tapioca, coconut, gelatine and other
fruits.
There are many alcoholic drinks that are popular with the Balinese, many of which use the
fermenting of rice as their basis. Brem is distilled from red and white rice. After distillation yeast
is then added to the cooked rice. This concoction is then wrapped in palm leaves and left to sit
for a week, and the juice is then squeezed from the rice.
Eating
In Indonesia, food is eaten using the hand whilst seated on the floor. Tradition dictates that the
right hand must be used for eating instead of the left, as the left hand is considered unclean.
Traditionally, eating must not begin until the host starts.
Indonesian custom also dictates that if a person wants a second helping of food then they must
first eat everything on their plate. If they do not want more food then they should leave a small
amount of food on their plate.
See image 4

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Food, drink and eating

Unit Topic Chapter 5 2 1 Chapter 5 Activities

Food, drink and eating

Some common Balinese festive foods include:

 babi guling- roast suckling pig

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