East Timorese cuisine

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Cooking in East Timor

The cuisine of East Timor is a mixture that reflects both the geographical location of the country on the edge of Southeast Asia to Melanesia and its past with its immigrants and conquerors.

Three meals a day are common, with lunch usually taken between noon and two in the afternoon.

Influences and cultural variants

Bread baking in Cova Lima

East Timor is in an area where the Javanese rice culture meets the roots-based culture of Melanesia. In general, rice and corn are the staple foods in East Timor. In contrast to the neighboring regions in Indonesia , the East Timorese cuisine has Portuguese influences, a legacy of almost 500 years of colonial times, which lasted until 1975. There are also contributions from Chinese immigrants and from the Indonesian occupation.

Due to the very different local environmental conditions and ethnic fragmentation, arable crops and livestock can differ greatly from region to region. In the lowlands rice cultivation (wet and dry rice) dominates, in the highlands more corn imported by the Europeans . Sometimes the water buffalo is preferred as a meat supplier, in other places pigs are bred . A specialty of Oe-Cusse Ambeno are widespread food taboos . Depending on the clan affiliation, certain foods are not eaten, which can affect seafood, coconuts or even eggs and one reason for this is that fishing is underdeveloped here.

The Chinese minority in East Timor consists mainly of Hakka , whose original cuisine took on Portuguese elements. In contrast to Macau , where bread has lost its importance for the indigenous Chinese population in recent years, it is still a staple food for the Hakka in East Timor, which many families bake and sell.

Over the past few years, traditional foods have been increasingly forgotten. The younger generation often see it as poor people's food and resort to imported food, forgetting local food crops and their preparation, which can lead to poisoning. Knowledge was also lost during the war against the Indonesians because older people perished. Some cafes and restaurants in Dili are turning against this trend and specifically offer dishes that are based on local ingredients such as wild plants and also cooking courses in which traditional dishes are offered as sustainable and healthy alternatives. Especially wild plants such as Maek (tuber), Lehe (type of bean), Kali'i, Uhi (sweet potato), Kotomoruk (wild, poisonous bean), Fehuk (type of potato) and Aifarina (manioc) secured the people during the occupation Escape from violence often means survival. Some resistance fighters looked to monkeys and other animals to find food. What animals ate must also be edible for humans, so the hope is.

Used foods and forms of preparation

Betel pepper leaves , rice and buffalo meat at the Baha Liurai festival
Rice, one of the staple foods, is pounded in mortars
The kitchen of this family in Clacuc is in its own hut

In general, rice and corn are the staple foods in East Timor. However, horticulture for personal use forms the basis of daily supply. Sweet potatoes and cassava also complement the menu, as do peanuts , sago , taro , potatoes, breadfruit , cabbage and sorghum . Jackfruits , melons , mangoes and bananas are added as fruits . Local pumpkins were an important part of the diet for independence fighters, especially in the times of need of the war of liberation. Fruits that are rather unknown in Europe are Salak , Jambul (Jamblang), Uha , Saramalé and Aidák . Cowpeas , spinach and cabbage are also used as side dishes for main dishes . The betel pepper leaves , chewed together with betel nuts as a light intoxicant, also serve as a side dish.

Fish ( tetum Ikan ) is primarily important for feeding the population due to the transport difficulties on the coast. While marine fish are the second most important source of protein for the East Timorese, freshwater fish hardly play a role. Sardines are the most common , followed by long-tailed tuna , mackerel and snapper . Also shrimp are popular, but are like crabs , sea snails and squid almost eaten only on the coast because it is significantly higher price inland. On the coast, 17.6 kg of fish are eaten annually per capita, inland it is only 4 kg. The national average is 6.1 kg, which is roughly the amount a city dweller in East Timor eats per year. Seafood is fried, grilled, and sometimes steamed. 75% of the fish landed is sold fresh to the end consumer on the coast, the rest reaches the customer in a dried, grilled or salted state. There are also imported frozen fish in supermarkets. There is little fresh fish in the interior of the country. Freshwater fish are only caught in the monsoon season , if any . In 2009 the government tried to promote fish farming with the Mozambique cichlid , milk fish and carp in small ponds in the countryside. 2000 households took part.

The city dweller consumes an average of 19.1 kg of meat per year, the national average is only 13.3 kg. It is mostly fried or grilled. Chicken is most commonly eaten, as well as pork, and less often cattle, buffalo and goats. For the majority of the population, meat and fish are only available on special occasions such as celebrations and ceremonies. Animal products are only part of the daily menu for 48% of East Timorese. In addition to the muscle meat, the offal is also eaten.

90% of households use wood for cooking.

  • Rice and other dishes are cooked in pots over wood fires

  • Cooking in a clay jug on an open fire

  • Simple meal in a restaurant in Kampung Alor . There is rice in the braided packet of leaves

Local dishes and drinks

Water spinach culture ( kanko ) in a canal of Dili
Tukir cooked in bamboo poles
Ikan Sabuko with batar da′an , rice and budu
Bibinka

Chilli sauces ( ai-manas ), which vary from place to place, serve as a seasoning for traditional Timorese dishes, beyond those adopted from Portugal, China and Indonesia. The simple dishes in the country are often simply cooked and get their taste from the sauce. One snack that is sold on the street and also serves as a starter is hard-boiled eggs with a chili sauce.

Tuna is served as a grilled steak. Grilled sardines are a Portuguese heritage. Ikan soboko is prepared in the villages on the coast . These are sardines with tamarind sauce and spices, cooked in palm leaves over the fire. The taste can range from mild to very hot. Sometimes fish is also dried so that it can be sold on the market. Shrimp are considered a delicacy. Ikan Pepes is fish that is wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over steam for about half an hour. Beforehand, the fish is cut into and seasoned with chili powder , onions , cloves , garlic , ginger , turmeric , pepper and tamarind.

Due to Timor’s geographical location, there is a shortage of arable crops between November and February. These are traditionally bridged with sago ( tetum Akar ), which is prepared when there is nothing else to eat. It is the sun-dried and powdered bark of the sago palm . The powder is mixed in water to form a jelly and then baked over fire to make flat cakes. The result is dry and tasteless. The nutritional value is also not very high, which explains the deficiency symptoms in many children in East Timor. It mainly contains carbohydrates, but lacks vitamins, minerals and proteins. 58% of the population show deficits in body growth due to malnutrition.

There is a so-called “edible” form of the Maek tuber (in Midiki : “construction”), which is planted in gardens in the dry season in August and September, and a wild form. When cooked, the taste of the cultivated form, which begins to ripen in November after the onset of rain, is reminiscent of that of yams . The wild form occurs almost everywhere in the forest where it is not too humid. Its stem is darker and it will already make your mouth itch if not cooked properly. The tuber is also roasted and consumed for breakfast. It was also part of the feast to celebrate the rice harvest.

At the Mechi Festival in February and March, the Fataluku on the eastern tip of Timor catch maritime Meci worms , which are eaten raw as a salad with chilli and lemon.

As in many other parts of East Asia, dog meat consumption is common here . However, this custom is said to have only become established here in the 1980s , coming from Sulawesi , when the first dog meat restaurant opened in Colmera , a district of Dili. For example, dog is seasoned with chilli, lemongrass and cloves and served with white rice.

Tapai is a fermented, slightly alcoholic rice dish that tastes sweet and hot. It is considered a delicacy and variations can also be found in other parts of Southeast Asia. To make it, rice is boiled in water and then cooled with yeast. The mixture remains in a closed clay jug for two to four days until it becomes watery and takes on a characteristic odor.

A typical dish is Kaldeirada , boiled meat (usually lamb) with potatoes, peppers, spices and olives as a side dish. Also popular is tukir , a lamb dish that is cooked with lots of spices in bamboo poles over an open fire. Pork ribs with tamarind and soy sauce are called midarsin . Batar Da′an ( tetum cooked corn ) is a mixture of corn, mung beans and pumpkin that is eaten with rice. Budu are tomatoes and onions that are pickled in mint and lemon juice and serve as a side dish. The local mild curry is called caril and can contain chicken or fish, for example. In addition to rice, it is also served with corn. Feijoada , a stew made from beans, pork or beef, comes from Portugal .

For dessert you get fried bananas, koibandera , katupa (rice with coconut milk) and, as a regional specialty, koirambu , a rice flour cake that literally means “hair cake”. It looks like thin hair shaped into a triangle.

As in China , the Portuguese pastéis de nata have become an integral part of the sweet menu in East Timorese cuisine. Bibinka is a coconut cake that is grilled in banana leaves. A coffee ends the meal.

Palm sap is collected to make palm wine

Traditional alcoholic beverages are various palm wines (Tuaka and Tua Mutin) and palm brandy (Tua Sabu). The consumption of Portuguese wine is a legacy from colonial times. Beer is imported from Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. For several years now, Heineken has had a brewery in Hera and also produces lemonades. The East Timorese beer brand brewed by Heineken is called Liurai and is made from cassava.

Coffee has become one of East Timor's main exports since its introduction in the 18th and 19th centuries and is also very popular for breakfast in the country itself. The Arabica coffee grows mainly in the mountains. Ermera is the main growing area. Tea is served hot and sweet in glasses. Breakfast is served with bread and butter for coffee and tea in town. The rural population starts the day with boiled sweet potatoes, taro roots or cassava, which are eaten with chilli sauce. Kopi Laku , the cat coffee, is produced for export.

literature

Web links

Commons : East Timorese cuisine  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Tony Wheeler: Lonely Planet East Timor , 2004.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Seeds of Life: Agriculture in Timor-Leste , accessed on July 17, 2017.
  3. ^ A b c d e f Marshall Cavendish: World and Its Peoples: Eastern and Southern Asia, Volume 10 , p. 1425 , 2007.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f Visit East Timor: Food of East Timor , accessed July 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h Andersen, AB; Pant, J .; Thilsted, SH: Food and nutrition security in Timor-Leste , 2013.
  6. ^ Claudine Friedberg: Social Relations of Territorial Management in Light of Bunaq Farming Rituals. In: Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- and Volkenkunde, Rituals and Socio-Cosmic Order in Eastern Indonesian Societies. Part I Nusa Tenggara Timur 145 (1989), no: 4, Leiden, pp. 548-563.
  7. ↑ a b c Direcção Nacional de Estatística: Suco Report Volume 4 (English) ( Memento of the original from April 9, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 9.8 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / dne.mof.gov.tl
  8. ↑ Kym Holthouse and Damian Grenfell: Social and Economic Development in Oecusse, Timor-Leste , Oxfam Australia, Globalism Institute and RMIT University, Melbourne, 2008 ( Memento of the original from September 30, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 17, 2014. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / mams.rmit.edu.au
  9. ↑ Jean A. Berlie: Chinese in East Timor - Identity, society and economy , Huma Netten No. 35 Hösten, 2015.
  10. ↑ a b Safira Esperança da Cruz Carvalho: Essen through the ages , July 30, 2020 , Southeast Asia - magazine for politics, culture, dialogue, accessed on August 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Heidi Zajac: The tales of food in Timor Leste , 2014 , accessed on March 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ a b Edibly Asian: Ai-manas (Chillie Paste) , accessed July 13, 2017.
  13. ↑ International Cuisine: East Timor Appetizer , accessed July 13, 2017.
  14. ↑ a b c Best Country: Famous Cuisine of East Timor , accessed July 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ International cuisine: East Timor Ikan Pepes (Fish in Curry Sauce) , accessed July 13, 2017.
  16. ↑ a b c d Traveling East: East Timorese Cuisine , accessed July 13, 2017.
  17. ↑ Lisa Palmer, Demétrio do Amaral de Carvalho : Nation building and resource management: The politics of 'nature' in Timor Leste ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / cultura.gov.tl archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 343 kB) , accessed on December 28, 2012.
  18. ^ Culture Grams: Volumes 2-4 , 2010.
  19. ↑ a b 196 flavors: East Timor: Batar Da'an , accessed July 13, 2017.
  20. ↑ International Cuisine: East Timor Batar Da'an (Pumpkin and Corn Dish) , accessed July 13, 2017.
  21. ↑ Roteiro Gastronómico de Portugal: Caril dos Pescadores do Oe-Cussi , accessed on July 13, 2017.
  22. ↑ Aproxximate Peace: Koirambu: My Favorite Snack Timorese , accessed on 16 July 2017th