Alcohols of Bali - Arak, Brem & Tabuhan

More alcohol. Actually I don't drink very much (honestly!) but like to try local things in general when I visit a place. And we were in Bali recently and they have traditional alcohol there. 

Arak (apparently spelled 'arrack' in the West) is a traditional alcohol of Indonesia, and features in a lot of Balinese festivals and traditions, even acting as a kind of 'holy water' when mixed with good old H2O. (Bali is mainly Hindu.) Our drink was made from palm flowers, but Arak can also be made from sugar cane, fruit, rice, and other grains. The drink is clear, and around 45% proof (sometimes more). But you must try it at a reputable bar, as some cheap versions contain methanol, resulting in serious toxic damage or even recent tourist deaths. Avoid! We had ours at the lovely (reliable) Bumbu Bali restaurant and bar in Tanjong Benoa.

The clean version of Arak certainly has impact. In fact we were already teary-eyed from the chilli dip for our rice crackers - then the Arak! The drink is not sweet, and not unlike a strong version of sake. We had neat shots. But you can drink it with pineapple juice and other mixers. 

This beverage is not to be confused with the Middle Eastern 'arak' which has different ingredients. Araq in Arabic means 'perspiration' or 'distillate', apparently. And online research states the names are unrelated - but I can't help but suspect there's a connection - Indonesian language borrows a fair amount from Arabic due to previous centuries of trade.

Arak

We also tried Tabuhan at the same venue. Tabuhan is a mixture of Arak with a local Balinese drink called Brem. Brem is made from tape, a kind of fermented rice. It is also used in local temple ceremonies, the colour varying from clear to red depending on the kind of rice at the base. And judging from the Tabuhan mix, Brem is much sweeter and lighter than Arak. Tabuhan is a pleasant drink - maybe more palatable than Arak on its own!

Tabuhan

Bumbu Bali's website: http://www.balifoods.com/

Skane Akvavit

Skåne Akvavit (or Aquavit from Scania) is a Swedish spirit - from the Scania area. I haven't actually been to Sweden, but this was a gift from a colleague who was posted there regularly. And it's quite nice! 

It's a clear drink, with a clean, herbie / berry-like smell to it. There are various aquavits around Scandinavia and Northern Europe, with a base made from grain or potatoes, to which is added various spices for flavour / aroma. This particular brand has anise, fennel and caraway added, which would explain the fragrance. The drink is 40% proof, which will clear your sinuses! The flavour is strongly alcoholic to me (I'm a lightweight drinker, however) but you can taste the overtones of slight sweetness / anise. 

You should drink Akvavit chilled (this means from the freezer in tropical Singapore!) sipped from a shot glass. 

Anecdote: Strangely, a Japanese friend and I made our way through over half a bottle of this between us (with snacks, admittedly) and were happy but both mysteriously non-drunk, and non-hung-over as a result of it! It doesn't work on Asians? Is a sign of this drink's purity? Who knows! Anyway, it was a very pleasant experience. Probably even nicer if you get the chance to drink it in Sweden at one of their festivals :) 

 

 

Cellophane lanterns - it's Mid-Autumn Festival time again :)

Yep, the autumnal equinox is coming up again, and with it the paraphernalia of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Crucially, sweet moon-cakes and lanterns. In fact, across Chinese parts of Asia, you will find cities with amazing lantern rigs going up. But the lanterns I love are the old-style, coloured cellophane animals, which I remember from years back in Malaysia. They're so pretty it seems a terrible shame to burn them (which is ultimately the idea at the Mid-Autumn festival!) (Or at least we did that in Malaysia!) These lights are a basic wire frame, with colourful, painted cellophane stretched across it. The wire has a coil to fit a candle inside.

For whatever reason (possibly my own lack of observation?) it's been a while since I saw these for sale in Singapore. Anyway I saw some today. And here they are :)

And if you want to find out more about the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can here, on an inappropriately large link which Blogger won't let me format (it works, though!): 

The Mid Autumn Festival

To look at one of Singapore's municipal lantern displays, click here: 

Mid autumn lanterns at night

 

 

Raclette!

I've said before that European cuisines rarely involve 'cooked-at-table' recipes - as compared to Asian cultures with their multi-various hotpots, sizzling platters etc. Well Raclette is one of the limited European exceptions. And it is getting quite fashionable worldwide now. Apparently.

In London, I always knew it as a French dish. And it is popular in France. But it is originally from Switzerland (which is next to France, and often speaks French too..) Raclette is the name of both the cheese, and the dish involving it. The name actually derives from the French verb 'to scrape off'. And the dish's origins are old, and rustic - it was originally a food eaten by farmers and shepherds.

The cheese is a sort of semi-squashy, smooth one (softer, Edam-ish in texture?) and it is usually produced in large rounds. The dish entails rustic foods with hot Raclette cheese freshly melted onto them. These foods are usually - boiled potatoes, charcuterie (various cold meats) with sides of cornichons (little pickles) and other bits. Ours came with quails eggs, a little mustard for flavouring.

The way it is served varies. The one I knew from the UK involved shaving the melts from a big, heated, half-round of Raclette cheese onto the ingredients. For this week's version, however, we had an oven at the table, and a couple of small 'trays with paddles'. You put sliced, cold Raclette, meats etc onto the trays and heat them in the grill. Then use the wooden paddle to scrape / pour the warmed items and liquid cheese over the potato. The top of the heater also acts as a kind of griddle for meats, but our French host suggested just putting the hot potato pan up there, and warming everything else underneath.

The aim of Raclette (the dish) is that it is a slow, social activity. It should be enjoyed with a dry white wine and relaxed, good, conversation, while dipping in to the food.Often large groups will share raclette for this very reason.

The verdict: Pretty tasty! Also rich, and filling (we shared Raclette for one between two and it was ample!) The cheese is best eaten when liquid and piping hot, as it cools it becomes a little stringy (like Mozzarella) but it is flavoursome. The cornichons add a tart spike where needed. And we were also lucky to have some really good quality meats in the charcuterie, including a delicious, fine, air-dried beef (Bresi?) But the overall feel for me (as a European) was simple, country-fare, possibly due to the boiled potato base.

Raclette is not the cheapest dish to have (outside of France/Switzerland, perhaps?) But it is definitely worth a try. Go with friends and a long afternoon or evening to relax in!

Balonglong, kedongdong...

Lots of food and drink posts at prez, as I'm a bit short on spare time! 

However, this one was a newie on me. I've lived in SE Asia on and off over a few decades and only just discovered this fruit. It was listed as both balonglong and kedongdong (simultaneously) at a local juice pressing stall, so I thought I'd try it. 

The juice verdict: pretty nice. Refreshing, a bit tart. I'd say a sort of combo of sourish green apple + celery. 

But what on earth is balonglong / kedongdong.. ? Well it's a green, plum-sized, tropical fruit, resembling a small guava, but with smoother flesh. It is not related to the guava, but a closer sister to the cashew, oddly. In fact I think I've had it before, sliced, crunchy, with shrimp paste (which is how it is commonly eaten in this region). I just didn't know what it was, or assumed it was sour mango! It is also a traditional component in that yummy local dish 'rojak'.

What struck me the most, though, is this fruit's ridiculous list of names worldwide! (Check the Wikipedia link below). Ambarella is a common one, apparently. It is called Kedongdong in Indonesia and Malaysia, and Balonglong in next door Singapore (or 'buah longlong' - buah means 'fruit' in Malay, which is the historically indigenous language in Singapore). It is also known as buah amra in Malaysia, apparently - I'll check this out with Malay pals.  

Anyway, always nice to discover new things! Look out for this guy if you're in the region :) 

Juice

Fruit

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondias_dulcis


Other tropical fruit posts: 

Food of the Day: pulasan

Sweet and soursop

Nosh of the Day: salak

Nosh of the Day: Pearl Jambu

Today's Ad - Black Nut Gives You Wings

Not Red Bull, Black Nut. I am hoping that the replication is deliberate. And presumably they haven't been sued because it could also be read as a statement of fact: this restaurant really does give you wings! (Barbecued and otherwise...) Anyway, not often you get witty ads like this in Singapore, and it always makes me smile when I see it at bus-stops :)

 

Matcha of the Day: Kiwami o-matcha

Kiwami o-matcha 極みお抹茶 (or 'ultimate matcha') is currently being served at Tsujiri, my fave outlet in Singapore for green-tea treats. So I thought I'd try it on my way in to work today.

It's does not look like its poster. What I got was this fab, stripy-camouflage thing! The dark stripes are actually a high quality matcha mixed with honey, and drizzled around the cup before they add the ice-blended matcha. In fact the milk is also supposed to be higher quality than usual.

Brits might be surprised to hear this, but even regular-priced authentic Japanese outlets can be very exacting about their product. They WILL test regular milk against Hokkaido milk, for example, and see which one their customers will like. (Tsujiri certainly does, as their boss once asked me to try soft ice-cream made with different milks, and give her my opinion!)

Anyway, The Verdict: It was nice, though I also like the regular ice-blended version. The sweetness is honey sweetness, rather than syrup, and there is a stonger taste of (bitter) matcha. I guess it's more like how nature would have intended a matcha slushie to be! The milk was a little richer, but I couldn't taste it hugely against the stronger honey/bitter elements.

Either way, it's only an extra 30c, so why not try it? I might certainly order it again.

Tsujiri in Singapore: http://www.tsujiri.sg/

More reading on this blog: Matcha Addiction: An Introduction
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