A bowl of goodness: Fish Head Soup

A bowl of goodness: Fish Head Soup

by | Dec 4, 2015 | Food Culture

HOME ▸ JOURNAL ▸ FOOD CULTURE ▸ FISH HEAD SOUP

A Bowl Of Godness: Fish Head Soup

a celebration of Indonesia’s culinary heritage

One of Indonesia’s most popular delicacies is Fish Head Soup.  This popular dish is full of aromatic herbs and spices that make a delightful meal out of some very basic ingredients. It’s a real tribute to resourcefulness of the cooks of Indonesia and their artful, instinctive application of a long list of wildly different ingredients.

Indonesia is formed from thousands of sprawling islands, populated with farmers and fisherfolk who know the value of everything and waste nothing, the soup is no exception

Check out my Balinese Fish Head Soup Recipe here!

While the soup is found from one end of the archipelago to the other there is a distinct difference in the tastes of the soup, from east to west and north to south. In West Sumatra for example, the soup comes to the table thick, savoury and spicy with coconut milk and chilies, whereas in Maluku the same sounding dish is light, clear and refreshing with a distinct sharp flavour verging on the sour.

Indonesia is formed from thousands of sprawling islands, populated with farmers and fisherfolk who know the value of everything and waste nothing, the soup is no exception.

Traditional fish head soup in some islands contains every part of the fish, the delicious fish cheeks, the intestines, skin and back bone all add their flavours to the broth that forms the base of every aromatic Fish Head Soup.

In Bali the Fish Head Soup broth is flavoured with the ever present Bumbu Gede. It’s the Balinese go to spice mix for everything, “bumbu” translates as spice and “gede” refers to large, which very easily could apply to the abundant ingredient list, over fifteen of them, from galangal and turmeric to cumin and nutmeg.

Lighter than the West Sumatra version, the Balinese version of Fish Head Soup is rich and tasty, it is served with a slice of Balinese lime, that adds a refreshing kick to the soup. The soup is made either with whole fresh fish direct from the markets or from fish cooked the day before, and as is often true of flavoursome soups, the use of ‘leftovers’ adds an extra boost to the distinctive regional flavour.

Some warungs, the local small restaurants of Bali, sell only Fish Head Soup as a testament to their expertise, in seeking out warungs in which to try this health giving dish chose ones that are located near the sea and brimming with customers. Try these ones below:

Pantai Lebih beach at Ketewel area. Many warungs built along side the beach and all of them sell fish head soup. Here, you may want to try Warung Ayu and Warung  Delah

Sup Kepala Ikan Kakap at Sesetan area, Denpasar. The tastiest white snapper head soup you’d find on the island. It comes with spicy raw chilli sambal.

Mak Beng at Pantai Sanur beach. Even though it doesn’t precisely sell fish head soup, but the famed fish soup drive so many people to visit the warung to have the soup. It can be a good start for you in case you hesitate to try the head.

PANTAI LEBIH

Jl. By Pass Ida Bagus Mantra, Lebih, Kec. Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80551
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SOP KEPALA IKAN KAKAP

Jl. Badak Agung No.1, Panjer, Denpasar Selatan, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80234
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MAK BENG

Jalan Hang Tuah No.45, Sanur Kaja, Denpasar Selatan, Jl. Hang Tuah No.51, Sanur Kaja, Denpasar Selatan, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80227
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The Betutu Story

The Betutu Story

by | Nov 17, 2015 | Food Culture

HOME ▸ JOURNAL ▸ FOOD CULTURE ▸ BETUTU STORY

The Betutu Story

cooking techniques passed down through generations

Published in HELLO! Bali – December 2015
Discovering the secrets of Balinese cuisine is a fascinating journey, and one that at times has an almost fairytale feel to it. Take for example the story of the bumbu genep. This mixture of 13 spices is the basis of nearly every Balinese dish.

Even though there is no scientific evidence, it is believed to have been part of Balinese history for more than 2,000 years. Also, the bumbu was supposed to have been a present from the gods to human beings given through the Pandavas, the five children of King Pandu.

The Pandavas

Yudhishthira (Or Dharma), Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva
who are the main characters in the epic Mahabharata.

In traditional Balinese kitchens, these four ingredients are measured with the length of fingers; galangal by the middle finger, turmeric the index finger, Ginger the ring finger, and kencur the pinky. Eight more spices are combined with these main ones, including shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, chilli and salt. The bumbu genep is used to season sate lilit, lawar and many other dishes, including the succulent betutu, one of the most popular Balinese ceremonial dishes and made from chicken or duck.

My interpretation of Bumbu base genep:
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

The Balinese believe in the importance of balancing every aspect of their lives, and that includes their culinary culture. Bumbu genep consists of four main spices which represent the balance of four gods, as well as four main directions. Galangal symbolises The Brahma and the south, turmeric The Mahadewa and the west, ginger The Vishnu and the north, and kencur The Iswara and the east.

BETUTU (UBUD VERSION)

There are a few different versions of betutu found throughout the island. In Ubud, the birds are stuffed with cassava leaves encasing the full complement of the bumbu genep, then wrapped in banana leaves and placed inside a husk, coconut or rice, then roasted slowly for up to twelve hours. This double wrapping makes the flesh of the cooked bird tender and succulent. The roasting permeates the spices to make an insanely satisfying, almost barbequelike flavour.

BETUTU (GILIMANUK)

Other regions, such as Gilimanuk, Bangli and Klungkung, cook their betutu in different ways. Fortunately, to try any of them you don’t have to wait to be invited to a festival, since there are speciality warung making the most out of the everyday and turning any meal into a festive occasion.

Ayam Betutu Men Tempeh

The late Mrs. Tempeh, originally from Gianyar, began this venture with her husband, a native of Bangli in 1978, at Gilimanuk bus station. Their version is still the most popular, and involves boiling the bird for an hour in the bumbu genep spices and serving it soup-style with plecing, the green leafy vegetable mixed with spicy sambal. Also offered is fried betutu, spicy and tender inside but crispy outside.

The betutu has been so successful that many of the employees of the warung have set themselves up as competitors, right at the bus station! It has become impossible to work out which is the original, as the ex-workers have not only copied the recipes but also taken the name of the warung with them. Today you will find almost a dozen “original” Men Tempeh traders.

The business is now run by Mrs. Tempeh’s son, who has decided to open a branch in Denpasar at Krisna Kuliner food mall. Here Ketut Nuryasta, a childhood friend, closely guards the secret recipe as he prepares the original betutu over an authentic traditional fireplace serving up a superbly spicy Men Tempeh Gilimanuk-style dish.

Ayam Betutu Khas Gilimanuk

One of the former Men Tempeh workers did in fact take an individual approach. When Oka Suci branched out he also rebranded. First he switched the recipe from being super-spicy to a little bit milder, allowing more people to experience the taste. Second, he added humour. He turned his comedian friend Dadab into a Ronald McDonald-like character, making Dadab’s face the logo on the yellow signboards that proudly advertise Betutu Gilimanuk across the island. While Men Tempeh is famous among locals, Oka’s Betutu Gilimanuk gets the biggest slice of the tourist market.

Ayam Betutu Ibu Nia

Moving with the times, Betutu Ibu Nia has taken the bus depot betutu style into more pleasant surrounds at Jalan Merdeka, in leafy tree-lined Renon. Here you will find a very good betutu nicely presented with raw vegetable and sliced tomato. Cleverly, Ibu Nia serves only the chicken, and has created a niche market for her ayam betutu on account of not serving duck. She is gaining ground in a competitive market since just around the corner from her place is one of the popular Betutu Gilimanuk’s.

Ayam Betutu Warung Liku

Warung Liku – which means meandering like a lazy river – on Jalan Nakula sells its betutu as part of a whole set meal, so you absolutely have to be meandering to enjoy the full benefits. The betutu here is grilled first then boiled in the spices of a bumbu gede. The warung is always full at lunch time.

Ayam Betutu Hujan Locale

At Hujan Locale we adopted gilimanuk-style betutu. I like this for the toothsome resistance of the roasted skin that is followed immediately by the yielding of tender aromatic flesh. Life is worth celebrating, and the betutu served at Hujan allows you to do just that. With a chilled glass of wine and a Balinese temple view, you can unwind and enjoy the traditional flavours of Bali.

AYAM BETUTU MEN TEMPE

Jl. Rajawali, Gilimanuk, Kec. Melaya, Kabupaten Jembrana, Bali 82252
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AYAM BETUTU KHAS GILIMANUK

Jl. Merdeka No.88 No.5, Sumerta Kelod, Kec. Denpasar Tim., Kota Denpasar, Bali 80239
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AYAM BETUTU IBU NIA

Jl. Merdeka No.1, Renon, Kec. Denpasar Tim., Kota Denpasar, Bali 80239
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WARUNG LIKU NAKULA

Jalan Nakula No.19A, Seminyak, Kuta, Legian, Pemecutan Klod, Kec. Denpasar Bar., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
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Bali: Babi Guling Bu Mangku

Bali: Babi Guling Bu Mangku

by | Nov 27, 2012 | Warungs

HOME ▸ JOURNAL ▸ WARUNGS ▸ BABI GULING BU MANGKU

BABI GULING BU MANGKU

BALI: SUCKLING PIG

Ibu Mangku had a tiny little warung serving up Bali’s favourite kind of local worker’s breakfast – babi guling.

When I got here at 9:15am, she’d already almost sold out. All that was left were a few remnants of the suckling pig she is famous for. Luckily there was enough for us, so we did get to try a taste anyway.

THE ‘BUNGKUS’

While I was eating, Ibu Mangku is bundling up 100 bungkus (triangular shaped paper takeaway parcels) for delivery that morning.

They are on their way to the airport for staff catering at the canteen there. I find out that she sells up to 300 bungkus – and makes up to 9000 small sates – per day.

Shocked, I realize that this humble holy man’s wife is a real culinary entrepreneur, giving new meaning to the term ‘quiet achiever’.

Even high-end restaurants can learn a thing or two from this kind of enterprising side to their main gig. There is definitely something to be said for doing takeaway!

Even high-end restaurants can learn a thing or two from this kind of enterprising side to their main gig. There is definitely something to be said for doing takeaway!