Nasi Goreng
Insights
peasant dish of Indonesia

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Nasi Goreng - RECIPE
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What peasant cooking IS & IS NOT
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Where did you first
taste an authentic
Nasi Goreng?
It was on the Indonesian island of Bali, a tropical paradise. The Balinese are culinary artists. Their food is full of color and flavor and it is the hottest in the world (even counting such cuisines as Mexican, Ethiopian, Indian, West African, and Sichuan).

Where did Nasi
Goreng originate?
It was born long ago in nearby Java and literally means, "fried rice." Nasi Goreng is more complex than its name suggests, and there are more versions of it than there are sauces in France. The Balinese version is one of the best.

What is the Indonesian
island of Bali like?
Whenever and wherever I traveled to this tropical Indonesian island, I encountered enchanting sights: peaceful, palm-lined beaches; steaming volcanoes scraping the blue sky; thousands of family-owned temples adorned with offerings of fruit and flowers; secluded villages consisting of clusters of thatched mud brick huts standing as islands in a sea of verdant rice paddies.

What impressed
you most about Bali?
I was won over by the Balinese, a people who are immensely generous, attractive and artistic. The majority of the inhabitants of the isolated villages I visited were dedicated amateurs in at least one art form. Some created exquisite wood or stone carvings; others painted vibrant folk scenes. Yet others (especially the beautiful-eyed young maidens) danced to the bright, tingling rhythms emanating from small ensembles of flutes, xylophones, and bell-like bronze instruments. Their purpose was not art for art's sake, as is often the case in most countries, but as one coffee plantation owner told me "to please the many spirits that roam Bali."

Quick menu

Nasi Goreng - RECIPE
Nasi Goreng - COOKING TIPS
Nasi Goreng - INSIGHTS
What peasant cooking IS & IS NOT
Great Peasant Dishes - HOME PAGE
World Cuisines - HOME PAGE

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