“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food,” said Paul Prudhomme. He is an American celebrity chef whose specialty is in ethnic food. Honestly, this quote is related to me so much.
As an Indonesian, I realize the variety of tribes and cultures in my country has produced so many delicious and affordable street foods. From 34 provinces, each province has its popular street foods.
Sometimes, we don't realize the magic of having so many delicious street foods. Perhaps, it is because those foods have become so common in our daily lives. The term "food blessing" never came to my mind until I became a tour guide in my province, Aceh.
The tourists I guided constantly admired me for how lucky I am to have been born and to live in Aceh. Aceh has beautiful nature, delicious food, even tasty coffee.
Not only known as The Veranda of Mecca, but Aceh is also well-known as the land of "1001 coffee shops". It is not surprising because Aceh is one of the provinces in Indonesia that produces the best quality coffee in the world.
One of the favorite snacks eaten with coffee, especially at breakfast, is Pulôt. The snack is made of glutinous rice. Pulôt is a traditional street food found in Aceh that is delicious, filling, and inexpensive.
Even the cooking process of Pulôt is simple. At first, the glutinous rice is washed and steamed until cooked. Then, the rice is mixed with thick coconut milk and a little salt. Then the glutinous rice is wrapped in banana leaves and roasted over burning charcoal for several minutes.
The process of burning the Pulôt emits a very delicious aroma and makes the stomach growl. Once done, Pulôt is ready to serve. Pulôt’s taste will be more tempting when eaten warm and accompanied by delicious Acehnese black coffee.
Besides coffee, Pulôt is eaten with durian fruit too. Durian is a tropical fruit distinguished by its large size and spiky, hard outer shell, and distinctive aroma. Durian is regarded as the "king of fruits" due to its shape and rich flavor.
For me, durian is such a magical food because it gives us a strong impression, whether we will like it very much or not at all.
So, for the durian lovers, eating this magical fruit with Pulôt is heaven on the earth. Trust me, you should try it at least once in your lifetime. But for those who don’t like durian, you still can enjoy eating Pulôt with srikaya jam or another delicious topping. The taste of Pulôt is still delicious even when it is eaten plain.
The best part of all is you can find Pulôt at the pedestrian overhang and in all traditional coffee shops in Aceh. Happy eating!
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