Cuisine Of Indonesia

Habit

Lansium domesticum is a medium-sized, single-trunked tree that usually grows from ten to fifteen meters tall.^[1]

The plant has pinnately compound leaves that grow to a length of around twenty to fifty centimeters long per leaf. Each fully-grown leaf has five to seven slightly-leathery, obovate leaflets that can reach a length of twenty centimeters each. A very prominent midrib bisects each dark green, glossy leaflet.^[1]

Flowers

L. domesticum flowers are hermaphrodite, having both stamen and pistil structures in the same flower. The pale-yellow, fleshy flowers are found in inflorescences of around thirty blossoms, in most cases in a raceme usually around thirty centimeters long.^[1]

Fruit

Fruits are ovoid, roundish orbs around five centimeters in diameter, usually found in clusters of two to thirty fruits along the branches and trunk. Each round fruit is covered by yellowish, thick, leathery skin. Underneath the skin, the fruit is divided into five or six slices of translucent, juicy flesh. The flesh is slightly acidic in taste, although ripe specimens are sweeter. Green seeds are present in around half of the segments, usually taking up a small portion of the segment although some seeds take up the entire segment's volume. In contrast with the sweet-sour flavor of the fruit's flesh, the seeds are extremely bitter. The fruit taste has been compared to a combination grape and "perfect" grapefruit with no bitterness. Yet the seeds if bitten have the bitterness of a grapefruit yet stronger. The sweet juicy flesh contains sucrose, fructose, and glucose.^[1]

The durian (pronounced /ˈdjʊriən/)^[2] is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family^[1][3] (although some taxonomists place Durio in a distinct family, Durionaceae^[1]). Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.

The durian, native to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, has been known to the Western world for about 600 years. The 19th-century British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described its flesh as "a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds". The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked.

There are 30 recognised Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market: other species are sold in their local regions. There are hundreds of durian cultivars; many consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market.

The soursop (Annona muricata) is a broadleaf flowering evergreen tree native to Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America, Colombia and Brazil. Soursop is also native to sub-Saharan African countries that lie within the tropics. Today, it is also grown in some areas of Southeast Asia. It was most likely brought from Mexico to the Philippines by way of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade.^{[citation needed]} It is in the same genus as the chirimoya and the same family as the pawpaw.

The soursop is adapted to areas of high humidity and relatively warm winters; temperatures below 5 °C/41 °F will cause damage to leaves and small branches, and temperatures below 3 °C/37.4 °F can be fatal. The fruit becomes dry and is no longer good for concentrate.

Other common names include: guanábana (Spanish), graviola (Portuguese), Brazilian pawpaw, guyabano, corossolier, guanavana, toge-banreisi, durian benggala, nangka blanda, and nangka londa. ^[2] In Malayalam, it is called "Mullaatha" , literally thorny custard apple.The other lesser known indian names are,"Shul-Ram-fal" and "Hanuman fal".It is believed that Lord Ram and his disciple Hanuman consumed this fruit on their way to Sri Lanka.

Its flavor has been described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus flavor notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana.

Gudeg is a traditional food from Yogyakarta and Central Java, Indonesia which is made from young Nangka (jack fruit) boiled for several hours with palm sugar, and coconut milk. Additional spices include garlic, shallot, candlenut, coriander seed, galangal, bay leaves, and teak leaves, the latter giving a brown color to the dish. It is also called Green Jack Fruit Sweet Stew.

Gudeg is served with white rice, chicken, hard-boiled egg, tofu and/or tempeh, and a stew made of crispy beef skins (sambal goreng krecek).

There are several types of gudeg; dry, wet, Yogyakarta style, Solo style and East-Javanese style. Dry gudeg has only a bit of coconut milk and thus has little sauce. Wet gudeg includes more coconut milk. The most common gudeg came from Yogyakarta, and usually sweeter, more dry and reddish in color because the addition of teak leaves. The Solo gudeg from the city of Surakarta is more watery and soupy with lots of coconut milk and whitish in color because teak leaves is absent. The East-Javanese style gudeg employs a spicier and hotter taste, compared to the Yogyakarta-style gudeg, which is sweeter. Gudeg is traditionally associated with Yogyakarta, and Yogyakarta often nicknamed as "Kota Gudeg" (city of gudeg).

Bandrek is a traditional hot, sweet and spicy beverage native to Sundanese of West Java, Indonesia. The Sundanese people who live in the highland cool climate prefer to consume bandrek to warm themselves at night and during cold weather. This beverage is usually made of “jahe”(ginger), and other ingredients such as “kayu manis”(cinnamon), star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, lemongrass, “gula merah” (Indonesian palm sugar), and small amount of chillies. Milk can be added or not, depending on one’s taste. Sweet, condensed milk or coconut milk is commonly used, and sometimes pieces of young coconut flesh are added as well. It is believed that bandrek has a healing effect on minor health problems, such as sore throat.

Es teler is a popular^{[citation needed]} fruit cocktail in Indonesia. Avocado, young coconut, cincau, jackfruit and other fruits are served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, Pandanus amaryllifolius leaf, sugar and a tiny amount of salt.

This concoction, created by Murniati Widjaja, won a competition in 1982 to come up with a national drink for Indonesia. ^[1]

Bajigur is a hot and sweet beverage native to the Sundanese people of West Java, Indonesia. The main ingredients are coconut milk and Aren sugar; usually to add taste, a small amount of ginger, salt and vanilla powder are added.

This beverage is served hot and is sold through vendor cart travelling in villages and residential areas. The carts are equipped with portable stoves to keep the beverage hot. Bajigur is considered suitable to be consumed in cool highlands, or during cold nights or rainy days to warm oneself. The beverage is usually accompanied with traditional snacks such as steamed banana, boiled sweet potato or boiled peanuts.

In Javanese language, the term "bajigur" was used as euphemism for the swearing word "bajingan".