WEDANG SECANG (SECANG DRINK)

Wedang Secang is a traditional beverage from Indonesia, specifically from Central Java. In the past, it was the drink of the Javanese Royal Family, but nowadays Secang is available in many places for everybody. In several traditional market, like Pasar Beringharjo Yogyakarta, we can find it in the herbal corner as a dry herbal. In several supermarket, it even comes in a instant sachet package, likr in a tea bag. The easinest to find the different form of Wedang Secang have made it's the popularity rise again, after it was almost forgotten. Secang ? Secang is actually a herbal tree which grow in a tropical country espescially in an open space up to 1000m above the sea. It's latin name is Caesalpia sappan L. and belong to the Caesalpiniaceae familia. To make the beverages, we need the wood of the tree. First the wood need to peel from its skin, then copped into small pieces and then dried. The copped wood is then combine with other herbal to make the beverage. Secang drink is good for health, Besides improving stamina, the drink is also believed to be able to overcome flatulence, colds and to make the body warm.In the village, spice plants, as the material basis of making the drink secang easily found. Crops that had become the reason for Europeans

PEPES IKAN

'Pepes' refers to the way the food is done. .So it can be chicken, even beef or soybean cakes or tofu; but the original material to get 'pepes'ed is fish. Pepes is one of healthy food because it's cooked without oil by traditonal methode.

The oldest sort of pepes is made of gold fishes ('iwak mas' in Javanese, 'ikan emas' in Indonesian, alias 'carp').

'Pepes' necessitates nearly all of the Javanese seasoning agents (see them at the third page of this section), plus tomatoes and red chili. Sere, or 'serai' in Indonesian, plays an important part here, while it is rarely used except for 'heavy' dishes such as curry and in some food influenced by the Balinese.

The seasoning materials are pounded and made to wrap the fish or whatever it is that you 'pepes'; then all of them are wrapped inside a piece of banana leaf whose edges are fastened with tiny bamboo sticks or palm leaf's ribs. This sealed package is then roasted on hot charcoals (or put into an oven) until no water is visible anymore, at which point the 'pepes' is considered well-done.

Pepes is always sold and served the way it is, i.e. still wrapped securely inside the banana leaf. This dish can get re-heated several times and it stays edible for a few days.

SAYUR LODEH

Sayur lodeh is a popular Indonesian vegetable stew in coconut curry. This dish is also very popular in Malaysia and Singapore and essentially served in Malay homes and restaurants. Honestly, I have never been a fan of this dish as I prefer chicken or meat curry vs vegetable curry