what i've eaten so far

the first american I talked to about food in timor said, "get used to eating a lot of rice," which has rang true so far.

Long time no blog update! I have been finishing up my Pre-Service Training (PST) and getting over a couple illnesses. Ironically after beginning this post about food in Timor, I came down with salmonella and just couldn’t stomach it, so to speak…

but all good now! So we can continue.

what is timorese food?

I think most Americans are pretty unfamiliar with Timorese food, as was I before arriving here. (The Wikipedia page lists a bunch of Timorese dishes that I have yet to see.) So far, I’ve tried a lot of new foods, found foods that I really like and some I don’t like so much, and I’ve definitely changed my eating habits a lot already.

My amá cooks every meal, unless an auntie or a cousin is around to help out. Most Timorese households follow traditional gender roles, meaning that the women do the cooking (and all the other chores). Luckily for me, she’s a really good cook—and she’s taught me how to make rice, fry chicken, start a fire for cooking, and make various desserts. Most of what I’ve eaten has been whatever she’s cooked for me, and I’m endlessly grateful to her and my host family for providing so much for me every day!

Here's a little peek into what I’ve been eating for the past couple of months.

breakfast

You can’t talk about Timorese cuisine without talking about coffee. Coffee is essential to a Timorese breakfast (and often throughout the day, too). During PST, I’ve been living in Gleno, which is in Ermera, a district where a lot of the country’s coffee is produced: Needless to say, Timorese people love their coffee. People here drink it with so much sugar, it would shock even the most sugar-obsessed American—think Southern sweet tea, but instead of tea, it’s coffee. When I first got here, I was used to drinking coffee with just some cream, but I’ve since adapted to the Timorese way and now enjoy my daily cup with a couple heaping spoonfuls of sugar stirred in.

For breakfast, many Timorese people have bread or other pastries, such as donuts. My host family buys rolls from a vendor every other day, so they’re always fresh. Sometimes we heat them up in their toaster oven, and we eat them with butter, jam, or peanut butter. I’ve actually become obsessed with peanut butter since coming to Timor.

peanut butter is my life force

I have been buying peanut butter to share with my family, and I get the good quality peanut butter from the one big grocery store in town, even though it’s a little expensive (about $2.50–$3.00). But as an American, I am serious about my peanut butter—I think it’s in my blood from years of eating PB&J at school—so I consider it a necessary expense. Plus, I’m always trying to get my host family to eat more protein and healthy fats, so if they join me in having some in the morning with their bread, I call it a win.

Well, it’s actually become something of an inside joke with my host family, how much peanut butter I consume. I think because my host brothers saw me eating it straight out of the jar with a spoon one too many times, or maybe because whenever we run out I mention I need to stop by the store later that same day. I just can’t miss a single day of PB.

lunch and dinner

My daily schedule during PST has been divided into two halves: In the morning, I have language class, and in the afternoon, I have sessions on education (since I’m an education volunteer) or other things. In between my morning and afternoon sessions, I have an hour and a half for lunch. So, I walk back to my house and eat there. It’s really pleasant! I wish Americans took the same kind of time to eat lunch.

For lunch and dinner, my host family and I usually eat a protein and a vegetable, along with rice. For example, we might have fried eggs and mustard greens, chicken and boiled pumpkin, tofu/tempeh and water spinach, or fried fish and eggplant. Before coming to Timor I was pescatarian, but while here, I’ve mostly given that up…

Dinner is also eaten a lot later here than in the States—usually we eat between 8:30 and 9:30 pm, which has been an adjustment for me. Because of this late dinnertime, people have an afternoon snack, merenda, around 5:30 pm. Afternoon merenda is usually dosi or bread, sometimes fruit, sometimes instant noodles.

Also, in Timorese families, oftentimes the father or brothers eat first. But, if there are guests over, they are expected to eat first. It can be considered polite to let a guest eat alone—to finish their entire meal before anyone else begins—and at first, this is what my host family expected me to do. I think they were surprised when I invited them all to come eat with me, and since the first week we’ve eaten all our meals together, which I’m grateful for. I think family relationships are built around the dinner table.

on rice

My apá told me that in the past, rice was not the staple part of Timorese meals like it is today. Instead, people mostly ate corn and potatoes to get their fill of carbohydrates. However, during the Indonesian occupation, there was a big campaign to get people to eat more rice—notably, a product imported from Indonesia—claiming that it was healthier than corn or potatoes. Not to mention, rice is a lot cheaper.

One of our assignments as PCVs is to educate our host families about good nutrition practices. A typical Timorese plate looks like 3/4 rice, and maybe 1/4 vegetables and protein. I’m still figuring out if this is really because people are uneducated about nutrition, or because rice is cheap, or because people like it or are used to it. Either way I always encourage my host brothers to eat more protein at dinnertime, when it’s available.

Anyway I’ll let you all know whether I get bored of eating rice every day for two years.

kt’s five-star foods

Here are some of my favorite foods in TL.

• Mostarda, mustard greens, also receives five stars for being both delicious and healthy. Mustard greens have a mild flavor and are often cooked in oil, with shallots and a lot of salt.

• Tomato salad here is also really awesome. It’s made simply, with diced tomatoes, shallots, oil, and salt, but the tomatoes are just so fresh and the salad complements any meal nicely.

• Furumungu, which is mung beans, cooked in water with a can of condensed milk added for sweetness. You can eat it hot or cold. I like that it tastes like dessert, but is pretty good for you.

• Despite not eating meat before coming to TL, fried chicken here is the best ever. Sometimes it’s just fried in oil, sometimes it’s breaded and fried. And it’s always fresh—I even watched my amá kill the chicken, once.

kt’s one-star foods

• Bitter melon. A bitter melon is a type of gourd that is, hence the name, very bitter, and pretty common in Asian cuisines. Here, people often cook it with canned tuna or chicken, which just puts me off a bit.

• I like a lot of Timorese desserts, but I’ve definitely tried my fair share of one-star desserts; for example, a pudding that tasted like peach cigarette smoke, or a dry cake frosted with a thick layer of plain butter.

• Also receiving one star: juice. Despite the fruit here being so good, juice from the store is processed with a lot of added sugar, thickeners, and vitamins, until it tastes essentially medicinal. It never fails to disappoint me.

food is a reflection of culture

Food is such a big part of culture, and I’ve definitely expanded both my palette and my worldview since being here.

Since living in Timor-Leste, I’ve realized that one of the U.S.’s biggest cultural assets is its diversity. Oftentimes I miss the diverse foods of Chicago—having Mexican, Lebanese, Indian, Japanese, and Spanish restaurants all within a few blocks of each other is so exciting. Or, being able to buy ingredients from around the world at the grocery store nearby. To compare, the market here is full of fresh, local produce, but you probably can’t find a tortilla in the whole country.

In TL, so far, I think the biggest cultural asset is the strong communities. People really go to great lengths to help each other out, and families and neighbors gather together often. This is reflected in how people eat: If you go to a neighbor’s house, they always offer coffee and snacks; at parties, sharing a big meal is essential; it’s rude to refuse food or drinks from others; and guests are always encouraged to eat until they’re too full (speaking from experience, here!).

There’s obviously so much more I could write about this, but I only have so much time right now.

there’s really so much more to write about

I have so much to say about nutrition, gender roles in and out of the kitchen, access to quality food, climate change and agriculture, or food and holidays. But alas I will save those topics for future posts when I have more perspective. Maybe I should start a blog just about food, or make a Timorese cookbook. We’ll see.

But consider this your introduction to food in Timor! Now for a recipe.

how to make timorese natas

Natas is a type of sobre mesa, a dessert served at parties. I had no idea what it was when I first saw it at an engagement party, but a little girl there told me it was her favorite and that I had to try it. Natas is a slightly sweet gelatinous dessert, made with cream and condensed milk, and topped with crushed biscuits.

This is a kind of approximate recipe because I only ever saw my amá make it once.

• about 400 ml of whipping cream

• one can of condensed milk

• maybe about 1.5 tbsp agar-agar powder

• a few packets of biscuits, tea cookies, or graham crackers

1. Crush the biscuits/graham crackers into a fine powder and set aside.

2. Beat the cream using a mixer until it forms stiff peaks.

3. Then turn the mixer to low add the can of condensed milk. Once it’s all mixed in there, turn off the mixer.

4. Dissolve the agar-agar in about a cup of hot water. (I’m not sure if 1.5 tbsp is the right amount, so use your judgement.) Add it to the cream mixture with the mixer on low again.

5. Put half of your biscuit crumbs at the bottom of a pie dish. Then add the cream mixture on top. Lastly, top it with the rest of the biscuit crumbs.

6. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours, and eat it cold.

It’s really good! I know the measurements are uncertain but if you attempt this at home, let me know!