Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine May 2019 | Page 75

Lifestyle / Flavours
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1. Es lancang kuning is a
refreshing treat for iftar.
2. Medan's jus martabe is
rich in potassium.
3. With a squeeze of lemon,
Pontianak's es lidah buaya is
awesome.
 s laksamana mengamuk is said to
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be inspired by an incident in which
an admiral ran amok in a kuini
mango orchard.
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Ramadan’s Festive Drinks
and Desserts
After refraining a whole day from drinking or
eating, nothing is more refreshing than breaking
the fast with an impressive soft drink.
Ramadan is a time to reunite.
Most people honour this special time
by gathering with families and friends
during iftar, the evening meal after
sunset during Ramadan. Festive drinks
have become a favourite part of iftar,
which people often enjoy before any
other snack. Indonesia’s soft drinks
feature a range of ingredients,
from coconut to sugar palm fruit,
passion fruit and aloe vera,
depending on the region.
When you are in Bukittinggi, West
Sumatra, you can indulge the palate
with es (ice) tebak. It doesn’t sound
appetising – tebak is a white, thread-like
jelly, made of rice and sago flour – but
it’s delicious served with cincau (grass
jelly), sweet sugar palm fruit, fermented
black glutinous rice, slices of bread and
shaved ice, and topped with coconut
milk, red syrup and sweetened
condensed milk.
Moving to Medan, North Sumatra, you
can find jus (juice) martabe. The name
comes from shortening the words for
its ingredients: markisa (passion fruit)
and terong belanda (tamarillo). With the
hint of sour and sweet, the refreshing
juice is simple yet full of vitamins.
Tamarillo is good for people who are
diabetic as it contains chlorogenic acid,
which can reduce blood sugar. It may
also help to prevent heart attacks as
it is rich in potassium.
While you are likely to be familiar with
the use of aloe vera to treat burns and
skin wounds, as well as to strengthen
hair and promote its growth, the plant
can also be transformed into a
wholesome drink. In Pontianak, West
Kalimantan, es lidah buaya (aloe vera)
has become a popular drink as the
city is abundant with aloe vera farms.
After being cooked with sugar and
pandanus leaves, aloe vera is served
with ice cubes and a squeeze of lemon.
The aloe vera needs to be soaked in a
mixture of slaked lime and salt before
being processed.
People in Ujung Pandang, South
Sulawesi, would rather use plantain
to create the popular dessert of es
pisang ijo (green banana). The plantain
is first steamed then wrapped in
green-hued dough, made of rice and
wheat flour, coconut milk and pandanus
leaves. Es pisang ijo is normally served
with ice cubes, red syrup, sweetened
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