Same Island, New Country

Parrot fish, already mentioned in this blog, are very good grilled. Has a taste similar to that of snapper, with the flesh maintaining great moisture even when cooked.

In Polynesia it is regarded very highly, and is eaten raw. For more on this bright, very unique, and beautiful fish click here.

Tropical Jam

Tropical fruits not only work well in juice, salads, or alone, they can also be a great breakfast companion to a fresh and crunchy piece of bread.

Mango

  

A commericial version based on Pineapple

Big Seas, Slow Markets

It has now been three days of strong North West winds, big ocean swells, and a full moon just days away. Not an ideal situation for the fishermen, who await calmer seas to return to their jobs. This means very little, and very expensive, fish in the local market.

AM Update: Persistent

 

Which offers me the chance to provide a brief but important mention to the main staple crop throughout this region. Rice.

Rice field in Ubud

Varieties are endless, just wish i could communicate better with the locals

Island Sounds

Breakfast this morning introduced me to the 45 string home-made instrument called the Sasando, made from dried palms.

By the way, the instrument originally comes from Rote Island, that apparently is great for surfing between April and October (so great, the impression i got from reading a few accounts is that you have to be pretty good to surf the break).

MJ Live

I just pretend to do the Moonwalk around these parts and people finally get my name.

Coffee From the Island of Flowers

It is said that all coffee originated from Africa, where today one can still find wild coffee trees. However, through the ages cultivation spread to other parts of the world, and currently we are able to enjoy different kinds of coffee coming from dozens of tropical nations around the world from Brazil all the way east to Hawaii.

Each of these coffee types that are produced today differ in aroma, taste, and strength due to many factors ranging from the type of strain the tree produces (Arabica or Robusta), the environment where it is cultivated in, how the beans are dried, how they are roasted, and more.

Indonesia is one of those countries with a great variety of coffee. Almost every major island in the Indonesian archipelago produces its local version, with the Sumatra and Java origins known all over the world.

(For reference, I'm reattaching a picture I took at a coffee-shop earlier this month that displays some of the many coffee types found in Indonesia.)

Now to the point of this blog post! After trying a few of these and others, I find that the coffee produced on the island of Flores, known as 'Flores Bajawa', is a real standout. Earthy-woody like other Indonesia varieties i tried and enjoyed, it also possesses a clear note of dark-chocolate that makes it uniquely amazing and proves that origin counts.

All Dried Up

A frequent scene around fish markets in these parts are piles of sun-dried fish, usually anchovies and sardines. Not to be underestimated as a delicacy, these can be eaten as is, or stir-fried and prepared in various ways, from stand-alone to mixed-in with vegetables and spices.

A Japanese man I met earlier today revealed that the world famous miso-soup can be enhanced with dried anchovies, which are then removed ahead of serving, with only the taste remaining.

Morning surprise- Dried squid

Honey I Need You

So many things to say about honey so i'll keep it brief. First of all it comes to us thank to bees. It is energizing, tasty, healthy, and extremely varied thanks to the hundreds of floral varieties the nectar that is produced by the bees comes from.  It works great alone and paired with fruit, yogurt, in tea, with salads, and in many other ways. It also acts as a medicine.

Below a bottle filled with Rinca Island Honey, must be a taste of dragon in there.

The Right Elevation

When riding up to see some waterfalls in the tropical forest, at around 700-1000 meters in elevation, my eyes caught a series of pineapples being featured on the side of the road. They looked amazing, so I took a picture, bought two, and proceeded towards the destination.

An hour later a local guide took out his machete and prepared the pineapple, probably the best i've ever tried in my life. Which brought me to the question. Does some elevation, rain and some cold give pineapples their ideal qualities? Even earlier in my trip i had some great pineapples at about 500 meters above sea-level in a pretty rainy valley. Anyways, something to be determined.

Low Tide

High Tide, Low Tide, a classic movement of the oceans influenced by the moon, the sun, and the earth's rotation. This event is also one that allows many of the water's creatures to become exposed to human hands.

Sea Urchins

Sea Cucumber, Enjoyed Greatly in China

Star Fish

Sea Urchin Close-up. Is up for a stand-alone entry

Lion Fish, u don't want to get stung by one of these

Traditional Fishing Village

Sasak Style!

The Squid Zone

Trigger Fish - Skin like Leather

Local Sea Salt - Great for Finishing

Apple of the Tropics

The Sponida Dulcis, or Malay apple, was kindly offered to me by a local Muslim household in the island of Lombok. Similar to an apple in texture and taste, it does however provide a bitter tang, especially when young.

To complement this unique taste, it is served with some sea salt. A fun appetizer or desert idea. The fruit can also be juiced, and complemented with sugar or honey to provide refreshment throughout the day.

Name the Fish, Please

Would be great to know the English name for these three fish listed below. The first one I caught myself, while the other two i bought from fish vendors. You can use the comments box provided to help out. Might be a cool way to get my first comment! (thanks Vale for first comment ;-) you were close, but the fish you were referring to is not found in the Mediterraean).

Update: Thanks to Janis Rubulis these have names. The first from the top is a Parrot Fish, great taste. The second is a giant Trevally, firm white flesh, tends to dry up fast so don't overcook, while the third is an amazing sweet lip variety, called the Spangled Emperor. 

Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing Baby

 When talking fish, or any other food source for that matter, for example the porcini mushroom, the most adventurous, rewarding, and also tasty way of experiencing it is by procuring it yourself.

Yesterday I ventured out with Hamdi and a friend, two local fishermen, into the beautiful bay they ride their boat into and around every morning and afternoon.

We caught five fish, four with a simple line on which two small hooks baited with fresh sardine were mounted. The other was caught with a more sophisticated method as the boat was in motion.

Goat Fish (same genus of the Mediterranean Red Mullet (Triglia!)

Long Tom

Start a fire with a few shrubs

Get the party started...Yes, i caught the third from the left

Unsung Heroes

And many times underpaid for the brave task they carry out.

Coconuts usually won't fall off from trees when they are young, which is the stage in which they contain healthy coconut water, that was introduced a few days ago on this blog.

So what is needed is a brave man or woman that rises sometimes more than 15 meters without any aid except that of his limbs and some helpful ridges found on the coconut trunk to cut them off with a machete and bring them safely down to the ground. It is fair to say they are risking their lives when they perform this feat.

  

The Jack Fruit

Not many people in the United States or Europe know the Jack Fruit. However, I recently learned that it is consumed greatly across 3 continents, from South East Asia, through India, Africa, and finally the Americas, where it grows and is eaten in countries such as Brazil and Jamaica.

I also recently tried it in the two ways it's commonly consumed. The classic way...when the fruit is mature. It's sweet, texturey, with strong notes of banana, so imagine eating a mango that tastes something like a banana. Jack fruit ice-cream is produced in some parts of India...that must taste good.

Now to the fun part. A few days after trying the sweet version I walked into a restraunt recommended by a taxi driver and ordered a classic chicken and rice dish, but compared to the other times I had it there was a delicious addition to the plate that tasted something like curried artichoke. I asked what it was and got the local name, which at the time meant nothing to me, so I had it written down. Thanks to the 'internet age' i was quickly able to learn what it I had eaten. It wasn't artichoke, but a young jackfruit. Very interesting opening.

Onto the Fish and Friends

So you saw those amazing colors from the fruit and veggie section, now onto those offered by the creatures of the seas.

The King of Prawns

Crab

Baby Squid...Yummy

Don't throw the heads away, use them for soup!

From the fresh water- Cat Fish

White Snapper

Market Opening

Went to the market this morning, probably the best i've seen so far for variety of produce. The colors were amazing. Will divide visit in 3 posts, let's start with fruit and veggies.

Banana Woman (hidden)

Pineapple Lady

Beautiful mini-egg plant (for those who eat it...)

Mystery (possibly eggplant?)