When I traveled to Indonesia, I wasn't going for the food. Booking the ticket and getting the F out of here was something more spiritually and emotionally driven than anything. I was at a strange shift in my life, I had friends living there and an opportunity to go. I felt an urge to go. So I went. I bought a ticket to Bali. On my first full day there, I existed without much water or life to me. A 24 hour flight will do that to you. Can you believe I went in the ocean that day? Actually almost drowned due to lack of energy that day but that's a story over drinks. Anyway, I arrived the night before that day super late. My friend picked me up on a scooter and we rode out of there. One of the most clear things I can remember is how everything felt alive, even me. It was a little rainy, and every smell was circling around. I remember feeling love for this place immediately. One of the first things I ate upon entering this place was some random chicken and rice at a small Warung on my way home from the airport that night. My friend who I was visiting was excited to show me his favorite places, so we stopped. Warungs are tiny small-business restaurants/food joints in Indo. Something I grew to love. However, at that moment, I was a little untrusting as I served myself chicken off a hot plate and scooped rice from a big pot in the middle of a very bright and unfamiliar place. I was beaming with confusion, but also taking it all in. I had traveled to other countries and eaten stranger things. I felt unsure.. but also an immense feeling of calmness in this new place. Something about the air, maybe my brain and heart could feel it before my human senses kicked in. But, I felt such a joy and peace. With that energy, I ate the uncertain chicken and rice as my first Indo meal. Without much time after, I discovered the beauty of fruit smoothies. You can pretty much get these bad boys anywhere in Bali. And they are essential to exist because it is super hot. Super refreshing, cheap and delicious. Mangoes were out of season while I was there, but I drank a decent amount of avocado smoothies, pineapple smoothies and banana smoothies to keep me from keeling over. You can ask for no sugar, which I did often. I also discovered smoothie bowls here with lots of toppings, muesli and deliciousness. I brought this idea home and was making them on the reg the entire summer afterwards. Fresh fruit was obviously also eaten constantly. I was in heaven, as you could imagine. Fresh fruit everywhere...Every RD's dream. I want to say my second or third day, my friend brought me to a place he called "the food court", which was a pretty good explanation for it, although not the "name". There was no name for it. I can imagine it in my head, but never took a picture. It was a place on the side of the road with a few picnic tables in the middle of the dirt. Surrounding the tables were about 10 different mini-warungs you could walk up to and order from. Tiny little stands underneath wooden roofs. Most of the vendors were there daily but a few changed every few times we went there. (We frequented a lot). I actually had one of the worst noodle meals of my life here, and was actually concerned I was sick. However, I also had one of the BEST chicken soups OF. MY. LIFE. HERE. I had it a few times while I was in this part of Bali. I can smell it if I think hard enough. It actually changed my life. The stand was owned by one very small and old Balinese woman. You ask for Soto Ayum and she gets to cooking it. Everything is made from scratch. The chicken broth is made by her. The chicken is "prepared" that morning or the day before. It's bomb. So she gives you this big bowl of hot soup with noodles, scallions, red chili paste and some potato chips on top. You sit down and slurp it down and it is not salty but so rich with chicken flavor that it is actually overwhelming. I felt ashamed for ever eating Campbell's. I am going to tell you two things I learned in these special soup moments: 1. Eat delicious broth soup on hot days, you will actually feel yourself rejuvenating, and 2. Put Potato Chips in that F'in soup. The days went pretty much on like this for a bit of time. It was super easy to eat vegetarian because Bali is a Buddhist country, so I was eating lots of noodles, fruits, veggies and rice. I was digesting everything pretty well. There was tea. I was in heaven, of course. However, it wasn't for about 2 weeks until I ate Nasi Goreng - the literal heartbeat of Indonesian and Balinese culture. While on a snorkeling tour with some new friends, we were given this as lunch. Basically, it's fried rice with fried eggs, veggies and sometimes tofu or chicken. Sometimes a few cucumber or tomato slices on the side. Seems simple, right? Yes. It was and is. But as simple as it was, it was absolutely essential. We shared this meal with locals again and again. No forks. Just hands. Balled up rice and vegetables. No worries. But you were full, and it was cheap. We would eat it for breakfast, and be good for hours. We could and would eat it every day. It was reliable, and we were thankful. That is why nothing will ever be the same as Nasi Goreng. To eat this quietly or over conversation or laughing on the back of a boat in the middle of the ocean with locals and travelers. In a tiny warung somewhere just enjoying life. Scooping it into your fingers in a way that was both intuitive and primal. Filling up on rice that was harvested from rice paddies somewhere on the island closeby. You connected with the land and the people in this way. We are all the same, our bodies need the same things. Nasi Goreng is unifying. I had a wildly beautiful and life changing experience here as well. At first, I figured Bali was overrated, but it was far from it. I went scuba diving. I drank Bintang with friends. I drove around on a scooter mesmerized by beauty. I sat and did lots of yoga and existed and listened. I experienced Indonesian holidays and ceremonies. I really fell in love with a place. Obviously, I ate a few other things on this trip, too! I was there for a whole month! However, I spent most of my time photographing the beauty, and less the food. Like I said in the beginning, I didn't go to eat, I came to experience something else. Here are some other meals and foods I ate worth mentioning: Red/Yellow/Green Curry: Spiciness depended on chili type, usually served with Rice and Chicken or Tofu with Veggies. Great Curry makes you sweat and tear up a little, bad curry just hurts your belly. Mangosteen: Tropical fruit that tasted pretty much like an apple, pear, and mandarin orange all in one! I was handed one by another traveler after hiking Mount Batur for sunrise, and eventually learned about it's potential health benefits. Meusli: This is basically a badass delicious oat/granola/crunch goodness that is def not from Bali. I believe it's Swiss, but also popular in Australian and NZ. Fresh Coconut: Busting a coconut open mid-day to drink right out of it.. yes. Using that same coconut pulp to rub on your sunburned skin..also yes. Street Corn: I didn't experiment too much with street markets because I am a little wary of food bourne illness. However, I had tons of street corn in the Gili Islands. I actually don't understand why it was so good. Katsu Chicken: This is basically a more delicious chicken cutlet with some type of unknown katsu sauce. We ate this with rice and veggies for about a week straight. If you're ever unsure if you want to fly 24 hours to a strange place - do it. Coming from a person with intense flying anxiety and who cried and sat nervously and gripped the drink tray for 60% of my flight, it was worth every bit.
1 Comment
10/9/2022 07:46:09 am
Affect foreign morning road be. Including guy face decade happen project no.
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Deanna Torino,
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