For some, it’s burgers. Others, a piping hot bowl of chicken soup. For myself, it has to be urap; a humble dish made from staple ingredients grown and found in the Malay Archipelago.
As with certain dishes, there are subtle differences in terms of what ingredients are used, but the core of it remains the same; a vegetable salad packed with a whole lot of flavour. A key component of the dish is kencur (Kaempferia galanga), and its omission could be considered by traditionalists as sacrilegious. I find that its aroma – which, like coriander/cilantro, is polarising – produces a rush of euphoria, likely to be triggered by the release of endorphins. The subsequent act of consuming urap does nothing but multiply the aforementioned feeling of sheer joy and bliss.
The flavours and textures from this humble dish emits a comforting sense of familiarity, akin to an affectionate embrace and accompanying assurance that everything is going to be all right. A serving of steamed jasmine rice alongside the Javanese/Indonesian staples of fried tofu and tempeh, rounds off the whole dining experience. Truly memorable, truly comforting.
eat food. live food. 