Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine August 2016 | Page 111

Travel | Samosir

There are many big and
small waterfalls that flow into
the lake around Samosir Island.
Some farmers even use the water
to irrigate their paddy fields.
Watch traditional
dance performances, like this
Sigale-Gale at Huta Bolon
Simanindo Batak Museum
on Samosir Island.
Visitors also have the
chance to participate in
dances with the guidance of
the local dancers.

My personal favourite
view is seeing the lake
slowly reveal itself from
behind the dense jungle
as you drive down from
Silangit Airport.

different types of Batak cultures, each
individually unique, but with closely related
languages and rituals that have been carried
forward from hundreds of years ago.
If you’re keen on learning all about the various
Batak cultures, visit the TB Silalahi Center and
Batak Museum, which has an excellent private
collection of old and rare cultural artefacts as
well as items, awards and personal effects of
T.B. Silalahi, former Lieutenant General of
the Indonesian National Army and Minister
of Administrative Reform.

Having visited the museum before,
I decided to skip it this time and head straight
for Samosir. I took a scenic ferry ride from
the Parapat port to the island. Stepping off
the ferry, the natural beauty of Samosir is
immediately apparent, and its influence on
the unique local customs, arts and culture
suddenly becomes obvious. You can see the
nature reflected in the huge traditional wooden
houses, adorned with intricate ornamental
carvings, each illustration carrying its own
symbolic meaning. These iconic houses,
with their striking twin-peaked roofs,
are designed to accommodate several
generations of a family simultaneously.
I was exploring the village of Huta Siallagan
on Samosir, established hundreds of years ago
by the king of Siallagan. Direct descendants of
the king still inhabit the village, but their homes
have been retro-fitted with a few modern
amenities such as satellite television!
I was fortunate enough to be invited into one
of the authentic Batak homes dating back over
500 years, constructed entirely without nails
and divided into three levels: the area under the

107

5 Senses – Taste
ARSIK ANDALIMAN
Arsik is a traditional Batak dish
of fish cooked with a rare spice
called andaliman, which is related
to Sichuan pepper. The dish is best
served with a steaming-hot portion
of white rice and has a wonderful
curry-like aroma and flavour. It’s
yellow in colour because of the
turmeric, and it can range from mild
to spicy depending on the number
of andaliman seeds used. Due to the
scarcity and price of andaliman
the dish is only prepared and
served on special occasions.
Arsik adalah hidangan tradisional
Batak berupa ikan yang dimasak
dengan rempah-rempah langka yang
disebut andaliman, yakni sejenis lada
Sichuan. Hidangan ini paling nikmat
disajikan dengan sepiring nasi putih
panas dan memiliki aroma serta rasa
lezat yang mirip kari. Warnanya
kuning karena memakai kunyit dan
rasanya bisa lembut, bisa juga pedas
tergantung jumlah andaliman yang
digunakan. Karena kelangkaan dan
tingginya harga andaliman, hidangan
ini hanya dibuat dan disajikan pada
acara-acara khusus.