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A Javanese man on
his way to the market, his bike loaded with cooking wares.
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" Silakan makan "
or " please eat ", are two of the most welcome words you
will hear in Indonesia
. .Indonesian
hospitality |
Indonesia
AS THE LANGUAGES, RELIGIONS, AND
CULTURES OF THE ARCHIPELAGO ARE MANY AND VARIED,
SO TOO ARE ITS CUISINES
OVER THE PAST TWO
THOUSAND YEARS, BUDDHIST, HINDU AND MUSLIM KINGDOMS ROSE AND FELL IN
SUMATRA, JAVA AND BORNEO.
MERCHANTS FROM CHINA, THE
MIDDLE EAST AND INDIA AS WELL AS SIAM AND MALACCA ARE ATTRACTED TO
INDONESIA. THEIR QUEST WAS SPICE - NOT SURPRISING, SINCE SOME OF THE
ARCHIPELAGO'S EASTERN ISLES WERE THE ORIGINAL SPICE ISLANDS.
BACKGROUND
The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include:
alleviating widespread poverty, implementing IMF-mandated reforms of the banking sector, effecting a transition to a popularly-elected government
after four decades of authoritarianism, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human rights
violations, and resolving growing separatist pressures in Aceh and Irian Jaya. On 30 August 1999 a provincial referendum for independence was
overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor Timur. Concurrence followed by Indonesia's national legislature, and the name
East Timor was provisionally adopted. On 20 May 2002, East Timor was internationally recognized as an independent state
ECONOMY
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, faces severe economic development problems, stemming from secessionist movements
and the low level of security in the regions, the lack of reliable legal recourse in contract disputes, corruption, weaknesses in the banking system,
and strained relations with the IMF. Investor confidence will remain low and few new jobs will be created under these circumstances. In November 2001,
Indonesia agreed with the IMF on a series of economic reforms in 2002, thus enabling further IMF disbursements. Keys to future growth remain internal
reform, the build-up of the confidence of international donors and investors, and a strong comeback in the global economy.
THE INDONESIAN KITCHEN &
TABLE
The most popular staple food is rice, and
the Indonesians eat large quantities of it with savory side dishes and
condiments. Only small amount of savory dishes - which may include fish,
poultry, meat, eggs, vegetables, bean curds or tempeh - are eaten.
Variety is preferred over quantity. The rice and accompanying dishes are
normally cooked early in the day, immediately after a trip to the market.
The prepared food is left in the kitchen for family members to help
themselves whenever they are hungry. Evening meals, taken at the end of
the day when family members return from schools or work , are often based
on food left over from the main midday meal.
Where meals are communal, the rice and the
accompanying dishes are placed in the middle of the table or on a mat on
the floor. It is considered impolite to pile one's plate with food at the
first serving. Indonesians traditionally eat with the right hand
(the left is considered unclean by the Muslims), although serving spoons
are available to transfer the food to the individual plates or bowls.
There is a strict division of labor along
gender lines, with men being responsible for butchering the pig or turtle,
grating coconut and grinding spices. The women of the community perform
the more fiddly task of peeling and preparing fresh seasoning, vegetables
and cooking the rice.
The Indonesian kitchen is a combination of
simplicity and practicality. The gleaming modern designer kitchen is
unknown to the majority of Indonesians. Meals are usually cooked over a
wood fire or a kerosene burner (kompor). Coriander, a faintly
orange flavored spice, is the most widely used spice in the Indonesia.
Commonly partnered with peppercorns and garlic to flavor food, especially
in Java.
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