Antasari's culinary legacy lives on

Antasari's culinary legacy lives on

Suryatini N. Ganie, Contributor, Jakarta

Those living near Kemang in South Jakarta will probably be
"familiar" with a legacy of South Kalimantan's royal dynasty.
They are bound to have been caught on Jl. Pangeran Antasari,
notorious for its traffic jams.

It is named in honor of the heroic leader of the Kingdom of
Banjar in the 19th century.

"Poor Prince Antasari," said a friend who hails from
Kalimantan. "If he knew this congested street would bear his
name, he would certainly try to find a better solution! Apart
from being an ardent opposer of Dutch supremacy in the 19th
century, he was known as a lover of pleasant environments and
good food!"

That's why when passing through the street, I try to ignore
the slow traffic and remember the good old days I spent in
southern Kalimantan, pampered by the local people's hospitality
in serving guests with their best local food.

The food could be an exciting mix and match of jungle and city
products, like young, slightly bitter tasting rattan shoots in a
curry sauce, served on an antique plate, or a simple stir fried
kangkung (water convolvulus), and above all, a plateful of
delicious local sweets.

To the people of Banjarmasin, the capital of the province and
a melting pot of people from surrounding islands in the South
China Sea, different flavors are everyday fare -- gladly accepted
and mixed into a memorable dish or sweet.

My friend said the fasting month was the time to feast on the
sweet goodies in Banjarmasin, with a special late-afternoon
market for local delicacies.

The sweet tooth of the people will be obvious at certain
events. For instance, when a baby reaches his or her 41st day,
there is a gathering called Ayun Anak, or literally "swinging the
baby".

At the event, 41 kinds of kue-kue (traditional sweets) are
served -- all laid out in front of the relatives and guests
sitting on beautifully woven mats from Samarinda, and left to eat
to their heart's content.

Many kinds of the sweets are not only typical of southern
Kalimantan, but also influenced by dishes brought by Indian
merchants, such as apem (a type of pancake from India), or kue
cucur, from Madurese migrants to the area.

The famous southern Kalimantan bika or bingka, which has
traveled throughout our archipelago, can also be enjoyed here.

Curiously, bika kentang from potatoes is made elsewhere from
other basic ingredients like wheat flour, such as bika ambon in
the eastern part of the country.

Another interesting this is that the bika Ambon made in Medan
is considered the most tempting of bika -- soft, fragrant and
moist. This kind of bika is even found in Malaysia, called bingka
Ambon, and baulu (from the Portuguese bolo meaning cake) suri is
another version of bika Ambon in Malaysia.

Kalimantan cooks often name their dishes based on the final
color of the dish -- such as ayam masak hijau (green cooked
chicken) or masak kuning (a yellow cooked dish, whether beef,
mutton or chicken).

Local dishes are also named based on an event, like the baso
Malvinas mealball dish, which must have been named after the war
in the Malvinas (also known as the Falklands). Or, there are
dishes named according to the cook's journeys, like Martabak
Mesir, a rather oily and heavy filled pancake derived from Egypt.

Both can be found in some food courts in southern Jakarta. But
please think of your waistline -- though the martabak tastes
good, better not to order two at the same time.

Southern Kalimantan is the place for durian, where it is found
in abundance. Considering the hospitality of Kalimantan hosts, if
you don't like this fruit, please politely say no, or you will be
laden down with a bundle of them.

But if you are a fan of the fruit, ask for durian flavored
sweets, neatly packed. You will not be disappointed.

So now when you pass along Jl. Pangeran Antasari, you had
better picture delicious southern Kalimantan sweets than the
traffic jam ahead of you.