Beberapa Macam Makanan

Here is a short post about some of the foods I've been eating here so far. I have already talked about some of my favorites- bubur, soto, tempe- but here are some pictures of what has been at my house lately.

To start off, this is a small pastry called bakpia, which I like very much. When I first tried it, I thought there would be chocolate on the inside (that's what it looks like, right?) but it was actually spiced kidney beans. Bakpia comes in many different varieties (cheese, durian, chocolate, etc) but this particular kind tasted like taco seasoning. My initial thought when I tried it was "Why does this remind me of Tacoasis?"

This is a cake called lapis legit. I was so excited when I first saw it because my American mother and I tried to make it for a Youth Exchange Outbound potluck in Northfield this summer. Truthfully, it tastes better here. But I'm glad we picked a relevant Indonesian food to make! Lapis legit comes from East Java and is pretty popular. It is made of mostly eggs and butter, my host mother told me, which seems to be fairly common for cakes here. Instead of being fluffy like in the U.S., they are more similar to a breakfast popover.

This is durian- the inside of a durian fruit, really. The rind is large and spiky, but the meat part, here, is about the size of a baseball. The texture is halfway between an avocado and bread dough, but when you take a glob to eat it sort of comes off in layers. Durian fruit smells a little bit like sulfur- not an overwhelming smell- but I could tell that my host sister was eating it from across the living room. As for taste, it reminded me of a sweet avocado. I would definitely eat it again, but I don't know if I'd go as far as to say I like it. It's certainly an odd combination of sensations. The worst part, for me, is the way your breath smells afterwards (like old eggs).

This is a type of lemper. The main part is made from cassava, and then there are many different types of filling. This one is filled with a sugary syrup (the brown part); I'm not sure what it's called. The cassava part is a bit like compressed coconut shavings, but bouncy, sticky, and not sweet. Lemper is bought wrapped in a banana leaf, and you boil the whole thing to prepare it for eating.

I really enjoy the food here, despite the occasional surprises. Or maybe I love it simply because it is surprising and new. What I notice most is the difference in textures of food here- like how cakes are egg-y, meatballs are dense and bouncy, and the many types of jelly snacks (like jello, but stiffer). Though it all tastes pretty good, it's often the odd texture that throws me for a loop. I still have many more kinds of food to try, so I will keep you updated.

Since this has turned out to be such a short post, I'd like to add a few other random differences that I've noticed since coming here. Starting with the price of gas- 4.500 rp per liter, which is around $2 US per gallon (and the price never changes). A custom that was particularly hard to adjust to at first was how Indonesians say "mmhm". It is the exact opposite than in America. Here, if you agree to something you say "oh-oh" but with the same inflection as"nuh-uh" in the States. Confusing. At first, I thought everyone was very argumentative- always disagreeing during a conversation- but I've caught on since then. Continuing with opposites, the gesture for "Come here!" in Indonesia is like what Americans do to shoo away a fly- you fan the back of your hand towards the person. This was easier to get used to, but I never expected that little things like tones and gestures could be so different.

Another difference here is that every meal is eaten with a spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left (unless you're eating with sumpit (chopsticks) or your hands) and after you finish, you turn the utensils upside down and cross them over your plate. When you meet someone for the first time, it is common to ask them how many siblings they have, and if they are older or younger (the gender of the siblings is less important). Lastly, whenever you leave the house, you tell whoever is at home that you're leaving, even if you're leaving with other family members. There is a special word for it, but I forget what it is. Apparently it is very important. In America I often would leave on a whim and let my parents know later, much to my mother's chagrin, so I have a nasty habit to break.

And that'll be all for today! I leave tomorrow for Surabaya (a city in east Java, and also the second biggest on the island), and then I have the Inbound Orientation in Jakarta next weekend, so I'm looking forward to a busy two weeks. Maybe I'll have some more types of food to share with you after all this travelling. Selamat makan! Bon apetit!