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© Helen Yuanita ; © Yunaidi Joepoet
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“ You haven ’ t eaten until you have eaten rice .” So goes the saying closely associated with the eating habits of Indonesians . Despite other staple alternatives such as sago , corn and tubers , rice remains the predominant choice .
The choice of rice as a staple food for daily consumption goes far back into the ancestry of the Indonesian people . The question is , when did Indonesians begin to cultivate rice ? Some archaeologists believe that the rice we are familiar with today was first cultivated in China around 5000 bce . Other experts believe that rice came from the Himalayans , while some others think that the variety of rice on the market today is derived from the wild rice categorised as Oryza sativa .
Human migration from China and India , in combination with a favourable landscape and climate , made it possible for rice seeds to be brought over to the country , to be planted , and to evolve into different varieties .
When we think of rice , it is usually white rice that first springs to mind . However , the colour varies depending on the variety . The Pintang Mas Inscription ( 878 ce ) found in Central Java , for example , mentioned wras caturwarna ( four-coloured rice ), which probably refers to a rice variety that consists of what is known today as white , brown , black and sticky ( black and white ) rice .
Considering the many varieties of rice , the number of ways in which to cook it are unsurprising . Such techniques include liwet , where the rice is cooked in a special pan on a firewood stove . Another technique is kukus or steaming , where the rice is cooked in a dandang ( food steamer ). Frying rice is also a common technique , where leftover rice is fried with spices . Lemper is a technique where a combination of sticky rice , peanuts and coconut milk is cooked and wrapped in young coconut leaf . Lastly , the lemang technique involves cooking sticky rice in a bamboo stem rolled in a banana leaf .
Many varieties of cooked rice were mentioned in Serat Centhini , a literary heirloom of the Surakarta Palace in Central Java , which was written between 1814 and 1823 . Among the rice selections mentioned
Many varieties of cooked rice were mentioned in Serat Centhini , a literary heirloom of the Surakarta Palace in Central Java ...
1 Nasi tumpeng is a cone-shaped rice dish with side dishes of vegetables and meat . Traditionally featured in ceremonial events mainly in Java .
2 Green nasi uduk , a unique variety of nasi uduk coloured with spinach and green chilli . You can try it at Tom ’ s Corner .
3 A special pot is used to cook nasi liwet a succulent rice dish from Solo , Central Java .