At the Table: Food and Family around the World - Ken Albala (2016)

Indonesia

Amanda Katili Niode

The province of Gorontalo on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, is located in the Wallacea, a transition zone between the Oriental and Australian regions. It is a relatively untouched paradise boasting great aquatic life, lakes, forts, and underwater reefs as well as beautiful mountainous scenery and an interesting history. It is a great destination for those who seek natural landscapes of mountains and sea without the crowds. Last but not least, it is also a top destination for food lovers. Gorontalo gained fame as the ancestral land of famous Indonesians, including an Indonesian president, a national hero, singers, and business moguls.

Bordering Sulawesi Sea and the Philippines to the north and Tomini Bay and Molucca Sea to the south, the province of Gorontalo has a population of 1 million people, about 66 percent of whom live in rural areas, while 34 percent live in urban areas. Its capital, the city of Gorontalo, population 180,000, has views of the hills and nearby coastal areas with world-class dive sites. Near the city is Tomini Bay, with a number of small islands spreading around the sea that have abundant coral reefs and an enormous number of ocean species, hence an excellent source of seafood.

The food of this region is generally spicy but rarely includes sugar or artificial flavorings; thus it is said to be honest and natural. Arifasno Napu, a nutrition expert who conducted research on traditional Gorontalo food, identified 15 staple foods; along with rice there are also sago, maize, and cassava. Traditionally there are 10 vegetable dishes with local or vegetable-based ingredients that are common in Indonesia, namely eggplant, water spinach, and fern. There are 35 kinds of snacks that traditionally are not made of wheat flour but of maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, and rice flour. There are also 15 side dishes with basic ingredients from lakes and the ocean, including freshwater fish and seafood (mostly fish and sometimes shrimp).

The dinner table features a wide array of foods (recipes follow below): steamed white rice and an appetizer of binthe lo putungo, which is roasted corn with banana blossom. There is also a sate tuna (tuna satay), a fish dish called bobara bakar (grilled trevallies), and Bilenthango (fish split and topped with herbs and spices) as well as mujair bakar rica (grilled tilapia with chili pepper). The table also includes ayam bakar rica (grilled chicken with chili pepper) and a kind of black soup with meat called tabu moyitomo. Tilumiti lo kando is a dish of stir-fried water spinach, pilitode lo paku is fern with coconut milk, and pilitode lo-poki poki is eggplant with coconut milk. All these are accompanied by sambal (hot condiments), which include sambal roa (smoked, crushed, and spiced garfish), dabu-dabu (chili, shallot, and tomato condiment), and sambal cabai (chili pepper condiment). There are also bananas (pisang), and there is mineral water to drink.

A father, mother, and three children gather around a dining table in a middle class home in Gorontalo, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia for a family meal. The dishes consist of fish, chicken, water spinach, papaya blossoms, and roasted corn and banana blossoms. (Courtesy of Donald Wahani)

The housewife does the daily cooking, assisted by a servant or members of the extended family such as sisters, aunts, or nieces who may live in the same household. The ingredients are purchased at the Central Market that is opened from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sometimes there are roving fishmongers riding motorbikes or bicycles with rattan baskets full of fish on both sides of the vehicles. The central market in Gorontalo carries all kinds of ingredients, sometimes sold individually or premixed. For example, the coconut used as an ingredient for tabu moyitomo (meat in black soup) is grated and then toasted. Customers can buy this prepared coconut to mix with other ingredients to prepare the black soup.

Early in the morning women often go to the fish port, which has a fish auction facility and a fish market, to buy newly caught fish from incoming fishing boats. Besides auctioning, the facility provides stalls that mostly sell fish, some shrimp, and sometimes crabs, scallops, and oysters. Beef and chicken are commonly purchased in the central market. Housewives in Gorontalo prefer to buy their kitchen needs every day at the traditional markets rather than storing food ingredients at home, as it is considered better to have fresh foods.

Some joke that fish from Gorontalo only die once compared to fish that has died five times in landlocked areas, since the fish have to pass through many hands and are stored in freezers before being consumed.

A typical visit to the traditional market is usually around 7:00 a.m. and lasts for about an hour so that upon returning home, women still have plenty of time to cook. To get to the market, they walk if it is within walking distance. But if the market is far away they may ride a bendi (horse-drawn cart) or bentor (motorcycle modified into a rickshaw). By spending about two to three hours in the kitchen, a housewife with one assistant can finish cooking a number of dishes, as shown in the picture.

The food is cooked from scratch by first cleaning the fish, chicken, or meat to be cooked. Also, vegetables, tomatoes, and onions need to be washed clean and cut, sliced, or chopped. A stone mortar is available to grind herbs and spices. Certain foods such as morongi (spiced shredded chicken) take up to seven hours to cook and can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator and then reheated as needed. Grilled food takes about one to two hours, from the time of beginning preparation until ready to serve.

The equipment used for cooking nowadays is semimodern, such as a gas-fired stove. However, certain foods such as satay and corn are prepared using a simple barbecue grill fired by coconut shells, often mixed with candlenut shells. Steamed white rice as a staple food is cooked using a rice cooker. It is more practical and saves a lot of time, as it takes only a maximum of 30 minutes to have the rice cooked. Indonesians eat rice three times a day, and rice is one of the nine necessities for daily living. The others are sugar, cooking oil and butter, beef and chicken, eggs, milk, corn, kerosene/gas, and iodized salt. For some people, although they may have eaten a wide variety of foods and are full, they nonetheless don’t consider it a real meal unless there is rice on the menu.

Kitchen Tools

There is a surprising array of kitchen implements around the world, some of which are more or less universal, while others are unique to individual places. No Mexican kitchen would be without a blender, which to a great extent has replaced the molcajete for making sauces. An Asian kitchen is rarely without a rice cooker, which is unusual in the West. Coconut scrapers are found in Southeast Asian kitchens but almost never in the West. Likewise, toasters are fairly unique among Western bread-eating cultures. Even the standard knife and cutting board arrangement is not as ubiquitous as one might think. In some cultures one cuts up ingredients with a small knife in the hand. In Bengal, India, food is cut on a bonti, a stationary knife that one sits in front of, passing the food across the blade.

The blender is one modern electric appliance that is present in most kitchens. This tool is only used to grind ingredients to a very fine consistency, while the sauce or seasoning for grilled fish or chicken with chili pepper still uses a traditional stone mortar because this results in a coarse texture with visible herbs and spices.

Dabu-dabu, a salsalike hot condiment, does not need to be cooked, just thinly sliced and seasoned to taste with a little extra salt or other flavorings. Chili peppers, hot chili, lime, grated coconut, coconut milk, and homemade coconut oil are must-have ingredients in every household in Gorontalo. Hot peppers in Gorontalo are unique. In addition to their small size, they have a smooth and shiny skin and are hot beyond belief. Gorontalese take this hot pepper wherever they go, because it is different from chilies in other parts of Indonesia and elsewhere in the world.

Coconut oil is another important ingredient. To make 17 ounces of homemade coconut oil, press coconut milk out of 10 coconuts. Boil for about three hours, constantly stirring, which gives it a distinct and very savory taste and smell. Homemade coconut oil is an ingredient for both hot condiments and stir-fried and deep-fried dishes. Grated coconut is produced by using a traditional coconut grater; one sits on a sort of bench, and in front (connected to the bench) is a sharp coconut grater with metal spikes on which one scrapes the meat out from the coconut shell. Hand-grated coconut has a different texture compared to what is produced by a modern coconut grater.

Dinnertime is 7:30-8:30 p.m. after the Isya prayer. Family members sit on chairs in front of the dining table. All food is placed on the table for sharing, and the tables in middle-class and well-to-do homes are usually filled with food selections. Public officials have food available all day in their homes as guests come and go. Family members take food from the serving plates for themselves, especially food that they like, as each family member may have different preferences. Parents help young children, encouraging those who are not fond of vegetables or just want certain foods.

In the old days, fathers got the best part of food (bigger in volume and prime selection) because they were the breadwinners of the households. Nowadays parents prioritize their children, and fathers today are keener in serving their children. The dinnerware is Western style, but the way the food is placed on the table does not exactly follow Western style. There are serving plates to put food on the table and dinner plates for family members. Cutlery is usually spoons and forks made of stainless steel, and one never finds a knife at the table. The food is already cut into bite-size morsels, so there is no need to cut food anyway. Spicy and hot foods with rice are sometimes consumed with the right hand without spoons and forks. To eat satay, one holds the end of the stick and bites the meat.

Although many residents of Gorontalo eat fish, there are no special small plates for fishbones on the table, as they are just placed on the edge of the individuals’ plates. On the table, large spoons are available to take and put food on individual plates. There are rarely individual soup bowls. The soup is poured into a deep dinner plate that will also directly be used for other foods. Soup is often mixed with other dishes.

Food is taken from pots and pans in a kitchen or in the larder, placed in the appropriate plates, and all laid out on the table at once. The plating is like nasi campur (rice with side dishes in small quantities surrounding the rice). People can have seconds or thirds as they wish, provided the food is still available. If the food is limited, though, they are careful to share it fairly unless there are family members who do not like meat or chicken, in which case those who do take larger portions. If food runs out at the dinner table, the mother might get some more if there is still some left in the kitchen. Because food is generally spicy, rice is eaten quite a lot, with the portion of rice much bigger than the side dishes. There is also a water dispenser located near the dining table to make it easier for family members to get drinking water.

Table mats are also common at the dinner table, functioning as place mats and to make cleaning the table easier after dinner. A white tablecloth is commonly used as well. Napkins made of cloth or paper are sometimes placed on the table, but diners usually go directly to the sink not far away from the dinner table to wash their hands. In some houses there are small bowls for hand washing, placed next to dinner plates. Those who want to be practical have plastic tablecloths because they are easy to clean, but plastic ruins the beauty of a dining table. Tablecloths are purchased from a specialty store or from a friend who sews them, while the plastic tablecloths are sold in supermarkets or even traditional markets.

Conversation at the dinner table begins as usual with questions from the children, asking their mother about the day’s cooking and whether their favorite foods are on the table. Children sometimes complain about unfamiliar foods and unusual tastes. The mother may also complain about ever-rising food costs. The dining room is a special place for eating dinner. Families gather wearing casual attire. They recount what happened during the day. Children tell parents what happened at school. No cell phones or games are allowed at the dining table, nor are pets because an eating place should be clean. The time spent for dining on average is one hour. There should be no shouting or food fights. Children are allowed to speak only after their food has been swallowed so as not to choke. Everyone stays until dinner is finished. Television, radio, and music sets have their own place in the living room, not in the dining room.

The food put on the plate should be finished, respecting our brothers and sisters who cannot afford to buy food. Parents set an example for their children regarding table manners and instantly correct mistakes their children make in how to hold a fork or spoon. There should also be no sound when chewing food.

In general, on the dining room wall there is framed artwork—nature paintings, drawings of vegetables or fruit, and other beautiful paintings that are thought to increase a person’s appetite. The dining room looks cozy with a beautiful flower arrangement.

A household assistant or family members help clear the table and wash the dishes. Children do not wash the dishes for fear that they will break ceramic plates and glasses. Dishes are washed with dish soap. Soot at the bottom of pots and pans is scrubbed first with coconut fiber or with ashes. Any leftover food is shared with the household assistant or other families or kept as leftovers for consumption the next day.

Drinking water is always available during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. More than 20 years ago, most people boiled their water before drinking. Nowadays those who have enough money buy large containers of mineral water that are placed on a water dispenser, as mineral water is considered clean and practical. Tea or coffee are consumed in the mornings and afternoons or served if there are guests, so coffee or tea usually does not follow dinner. If coffee is served to guests, called kopi lo polondulo in Gorontalo, it is a hint that it is time to end the visit or an event.

Children eat the same food, but there are specially prepared foods that are not too hot or spicy. They also avoid bony fish. Parents try to get their children to eat with the concept of “four is healthy and five is perfect.” The four is rice, meat/fish, vegetables, and fruits. The five is milk, although milk is not consumed at dinner.

Fish, chicken, and meat are often presented whole or shredded so that all the seasonings can be absorbed, hence the food will taste better. There are several kinds of condiments for each member of the family with different spiciness. Sometimes in a family there are several kinds of condiments available based on preference, such as soy sauce, tomato sauce, eggplant sauce, chili garlic sauce, chili vinegar (vinegar, red eye chili, and onion), and chili pepper condiment.

Tofu and tempeh, soya-based foods, are popular in Java, where most than 60 percent of Indonesia’s population live, but are rarely found in Gorontalo, although due to the increasing number of migrants local markets are beginning to sell tofu and tempeh.

Snacks are common in the morning or afternoon. Quite popular is fried bananas eaten with hot sauce. A combination of bananas and peanuts is consumed by teenagers and couples.

Most of Indonesia’s population is Muslim, so there are forbidden foods, including pork, blood, or animals that live in two worlds, such as amphibians (e.g., frogs and turtles). Alcoholic drinks are strictly prohibited.

Because Gorontalo is located near the sea, fish dishes are very popular. Those who grew up there are very sensitive and can distinguish between fresh fish and slightly spoiled fish by the look of fish and the taste. Fresh fish is always very tasty even when cooked without excessive seasoning. Freshwater fish from Lake Limboto is also very popular. Fish such as tilapia cultured in fish ponds is more common now than lake fish due to the eutrophication of the lake that decreases the number of endemic species.

Offal of chicken, cattle, and goat is not eaten, including oxtail. But in the last 10 years, Gorontalo’s eating habits have begun to change due to the increasing number of migrants coming into the city after it became the capital of the province in 2001. Prior to that Gorontalo was just a regency, with the provincial capital located eight hours east by car.

Living in an agricultural area with abundant marine resources, it is unusual for families to go hungry even if they only have minimal income. The food sold has always been mostly local food. But now many chain restaurants are found in Gorontalo, and this has been changing the role of local food so that young people are not familiar with local food and snacks. Local homes are still the best place to find delicious authentic Gorontalo food. Inviting guests to dinner is considered a way to respect people.

Appetizer

Binthe lo Putungo (roasted corn with banana blossom)

For the grilled corn:

Corn

Butter

For the putungo:

½ part banana blossom, cut lengthwise

½ pound shrimp

About ¾ cup of grated young coconut

Papaya leaves

5 cloves of shallot

2 cloves of garlic

Hot pepper to taste

Salt to taste

To make the grilled corn:

Peel corn and grill over charcoals or coconut shells while buttered. Do not overgrill.

To make the putungo:

1.Thinly slice banana blossom and place in a bowl.

2.Rotate a stick in the middle of the banana blossom pile, down to the bottom of bowl. Clamp the stick between two palms, move one hand forward and one hand backward to eliminate the sap of the banana blossom; repeat and wash clean.

3.Wash and boil shrimp for about 15 minutes and set aside.

4.Slice green papaya leaves. Wash and set aside.

5.Grind shallot, garlic, hot pepper, and salt and set aside.

To serve:

1.Mix together all the ingredients already prepared: sliced banana blossom, papaya leaves, grated coconut, boiled shrimp, and spices. Stir until evenly marinaded.

2.Place on a plate ready to be served with grilled corn.

Sate Tuna (tuna satay)

1 pound of fresh tuna

Homemade coconut oil

Skewers

2 pieces of lemon

5 cloves of shallot

7 pieces of chili pepper

Hot pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Make the satay:

1.Cut tuna into bite-size cubes. Pour lemon juice and a little salt over the fish and stir.

2.Stick 5 cubes to each skewer.

3.Grill the tuna satay for about 10-15 minutes.

Make the sauce:

1.Grind shallot, chili pepper, hot pepper, and salt.

2.Boil homemade coconut oil.

3.Pour in a little lemon juice, add salt, and set aside.

To serve:

Put grilled tuna satay on a plate and pour sauce that had been prepared earlier, ready to be served.

Trevallies

Homemade cooking oil

1 piece of lemon for each fish

1.Clean the trevallies and discard the gills.

2.Slice the fish sideways and pour lemon juice on it.

3.Grill fish for about 15 minutes while basting to keep it intact until cooked. Remove and serve.

3 pieces of tilapia fish

Cooking oil for frying

7 cloves of shallot

Hot pepper to taste

2 tomatoes

2 stalks of scallions

Salt to taste

1.Grind the shallot, hot pepper, and salt.

2.Thinly slice the tomatoes and finely slice the scallions lengthwise.

3.Mix all and set aside.

4.Wash tilapia but do not eliminate all of its scales.

5.Split the fish into two without breaking. Put all the seasoning on top of the fish.

6.Cover a frying pan with banana leaves.

7.Put oil on top and fry the seasoned fish.

8.Pour hot oil, taken from the edge of the fish, on top of the fish in a frying pan. Pour over and over until cooked and the seasoning still looks fresh.

Note: The benefit of scales on bilenthango is to keep the fish intact during the cooking process. If all the fish scales are gone, the fish body will be broken in pieces when removed from the pan.

3 tilapia

Cooking oil for greasing

2 pieces of lemon

5 cloves of shallot

5 pieces of chili pepper

Hot pepper

Salt to taste

1.Clean the inside of the tilapia fish. Do not remove the scales. Wash.

3.Grill while basting. Do not overgrill.

To make the sauce:

1.Finely grind shallot, chili pepper, hot pepper, and salt.

2.Pour in heated homemade cooking oil.

3.Put in a little bit of lime juice and add salt.

To serve:

1.Put the grilled tilapia on a plate.

2.Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.

Ayam Bakar Rica (Grilled Chicken with Chili Pepper)

1 local chicken

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of fine coriander

Salt to taste

7 cloves of shallots

7 pieces of chili pepper

Hot pepper

Oil to baste

To make the chicken:

1.Clean the chicken and cut into 2 parts (chest and thigh).

2.Boil chicken until half cooked with sliced garlic, coriander, and salt.

3.Drain and grill, basting with oil.

To make the sauce:

1.Finely grind shallot, chilies, hot pepper, and salt.

2.Pour heated oil over and add lemon juice and salt.

To serve:

1.Put grilled chicken on a serving plate.

2.Pour the sauce prepared earlier over the chicken.

Tabu Moyitomo (Meat in Black Soup)

1 pound of beef or beef ribs

8½ cups of water to boil

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 cup of grated coconut

15 shallots

5 cloves of garlic

15 pieces of chili pepper

Hot pepper to taste

1 teaspoon of coriander

1 teaspoon of pepper

½ teaspoon of fine cumin

1 inch of roasted turmeric

5 stalks of lemongrass

3 small slices of galangal

1 inch of roasted ginger

2 tablespoons of tamarind

Basil leaves

Lime leaves

Pandan leaves

Scallions

Salt

To make the beef:

1.Boil beef in a stew pan until cooked.

2.Set aside

Make the soup:

1.Toast shredded coconut in a frying pan until lightly browned.

2.Grind until the oil from the shredded coconut is out. Set aside.

3.Grind and blend shallot, garlic, red chili, hot pepper, coriander, pepper, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, cumin, and salt.

4.Mix ground spices with scallions, basil leaves, pandan leaves, and lime leaves.

5.Sauté with the toasted coconut until cooked.

6.Pour the sautéed spices into the stew pan.

7.Simmer until the spices seep into the meat.

8.Ready to be served.

Tilumiti Lo Kando (Stir-Fried Water Spinach)

2 bunches of water spinach

5 cloves of shallots

3 cloves of garlic

Hot pepper

Salt

Homemade coconut oil

1.Slice the spinach and split the stems and the leaves. Wash and set aside.

2.Slice shallots, garlic, and hot pepper. Set aside.

3.Sauté sliced seasoning with a little oil, add a little bit of water, and add salt to taste.

4.At boiling point, put in the spinach stems and leave them in until half cooked.

5.Put in the leafy part of the spinach.

6.Stir-fry until cooked and serve.

1 cup of papaya flowers

3 young papaya leaves

2 bunches of fern leaves

5 cloves of shallots

3 cloves of garlic

Hot pepper

Salt

Cooking oil

To make the papaya leaves:

1.Boil papaya flower until tender and it has lost its bitter taste. Set aside.

2.Thinly slice young papaya leaves. Wash and set aside.

3.Pick the leaves or stems of young ferns. Wash and set aside.

To make the seasoning:

1.Slice shallot, garlic, and hot pepper.

To finish:

1.Sauté the seasoning. Add salt to taste.

2.Add a little water. Next add the boiled papaya flower, the sliced papaya flower, and fern leaves and stir-fry until cooked. Serve.

2 bunches of long purple eggplants

1¼ cup of coconut milk

Oil for frying

7 cloves of shallots

2 cloves of garlic

5 chili peppers

Hot pepper to taste

Salt to taste

To make the eggplants:

1.Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 2 parts and wash.

2.Fry eggplants and set aside.

Make the sauce:

1.Grind shallot, garlic, chili peppers, hot pepper, and salt and set aside.

2.Sauté the ground spices with a little oil until fragrant.

3.Pour in coconut milk and stir until boiling.

To finish:

1.Put the fried egg plants in coconut milk. Cook over low heat.

2.Stir until cooked and ready to serve.

Sambal Roa (Smoked, Crushed, and Spiced Garfish)

7 smoked roa (garfish)

5 cloves of shallots

Chili pepper

1 tomato

Oil

Salt to taste

1.Clean the smoked roa by separating the mouths and the bones.

2.Finely crush and set aside.

3.Slice shallot, chili, and tomatoes and stir-fry with a little oil.

4.After the tomato is cooked, add the smoked roa and stir until cooked.

5 cloves shallots

Hot pepper

2 tomatoes

1 lime

2 tablespoons of homemade coconut oil

Salt

1.Slice shallot, hot pepper, and tomatoes and place in a bowl.

2.Put lime juice in the bowl add salt to taste, then mix.

3.Pour in boiled coconut oil.

4.Serve.

5 cloves of shallots

7 chili peppers

3 hot peppers

1 tomato

4 tablespoons of homemade coconut oil

Salt to taste

1.Finely grind shallots, chili peppers, hot peppers, and tomato.

2.Sauté with hot homemade coconut oil.

3.Salt to taste and serve.

Additional Menu

Kerupuk (Chips)

Casual dining is not complete without crackers. Most children like chips as a side dish. A variety of flavored chips are sold in the market, including shrimp, fish, and vegetable flavors. Housewives buy a handful and fry them with hot oil. Crackers can be directly consumed and placed in an airtight jar.

2 chickens

15 shallots

9 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of coriander

1½ tablespoons of pepper

2¼ cups thick coconut milk

9 chili peppers

Hot pepper to taste

Salt

3 tablespoons oil

1.Cut chicken into 4 pieces: 2 parts thighs and 2 parts chest.

2.Finely grind shallots, garlic, coriander, pepper, chilies, hot pepper, and salt.

3.Sauté using a little oil until fragrant.

4.Pour in coconut milk and chicken.

5.Boil for about 1 hour and stir occasionally.

6.When the coconut milk is almost dry, pour some more and stir constantly.

7.Keep doing this until the chicken begins to break down, shredded, and the color is golden brown with no coconut milk left.

8.Stir constantly over medium heat to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pan.

9.It will take about 6-7 hours to prepare this dish until it is ready to be presented.

Note: Morongi can last a long time in dry conditions.

Allen, Rantje. Gorontalo: Hidden Paradise. Photographs by William Tan, Takako Uno, and Stephen Wong. Singapore: Snow Pub, 2006.

Chandra, Mae. Indonesian: Modern and Traditional Indonesian Cuisine. Chatswood NSW, Australia: New Holland Publishers, 2014.

Owen, Sri. The Indonesian Kitchen: Recipes and Stories. Northampton, MA: Interlink Publishing Group, 2008.