Food from the field

And on to the food we’ve had all week. First, everyone seems to have the exact same dishes and cups and cup covers for the tea. Everyone. This is a close up shot, along with the remnants of my peanut snacking. You’ll notice these little cup covers in the background of basically every other picture I’ve taken here.. Must be a good business for whoever is makin em.



Slightly unrelated but in many homes I’ve observed random cultural icons that sneak their way into things: Garfield sheets, Little Mermaid Tupperware, Mickey Mouse T-shirts. These paired with the fact that 100% of the male farmers have full, thick mustaches and the time period that I’m in becomes highly unclear.

Snacks every day ranged from donuts to fried peanuts coated in flour (probably ate my weight’s worth of these) to bananas chips to sweet tea. Tea continues to be a must.

White rice ALWAYS comes with lunch. Other staples are tempe, tofu, noodles, vegetable soups in chicken broth or coconut milk, level of spices varied. Rahmi, Icha and Galih would always pre-warn me if something was too spicey for my non-Native tastes. Eggplant is included a few days in the vegetables and every time I go nuts. Fried bananas coated in flour were pretty common and they taste so much freaking better than anything I will ever be able to buy in the US. One day was also given quite possibly the most fabulous papaya ever, I think I embarrassed myself by how much I ate of it, if I did I really don’t care. Another day we had a fantastic fried fritter like object from corn, or at least I think it was corn.. either was it was delicious.

The women really fussed over me and made me feel like I was right at home in Maria’s kitchen being forced to eat until I’m full. One of the afternoons, after I finished my second helping of lunch, the mother of the house, grabbed my dish and without asking me filled it again with rice and noodles. I saw no other option than to finish my plate yet again. Good thing I like to eat.



In our final day of interviews,snacks were banana chips, peanuts, cassava chips and sweet tea. Finally by the end of the week I started exhibiting self-control with the snacking, striking a balance between being a polite guest and stuffing my face. That was UNTIL I tried the homemade cassava chips. They were spicy (chile) and sweet (coconut sugar) and put any potato chip I’ve ever had to shame. Lunch was extra delicious vegetable soup, coconut milk with green beans and eggplant (terong, which I again make a big fuss about) and fantastic tempe. I will learn how to make tempe before I come home.



Mrs. Narti (third from the left above) made the cassava chips and in addition to this out of this world skill, from her interview I can tell she is smart, resourceful and progressive- she uses climate forecasts and reports 3X the yields of her neighbors on the same amount of land. She also told me that her daughter saw me running one morning before she went to school and apparently waited for me in the afternoon! I’m flattered and demand a picture.



I think after my first week running around here people accepted that the American girl is crazy. So by the end of my stay here, EVERYONE honks and yells, sometimes in English, sometimes in Bahasa, sometimes in Javanese, or sometimes a blend of all: Good morning! Hello! Run run! Even with the tough hills and heat I keep a big smile on my face, as this greeting is universal.

There is something simple and honest and equally universal about breaking bread with folks that I just couldn’t get enough of this week.