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Holiday and Festival

Foods
Rice, a mainstay of everyday cuisine in Indonesia, is the center of
holiday and festival meals as well. On Lebaran, the celebration that
brings an end to the fasting of Ramadan, festive rice molded into a
cone is the centerpiece of the holiday table. Street vendors sell ketu
pat , rice cakes wrapped in palm leaves. On other holidays, such as
Galungan, rice is placed in front of altars as an offering to the gods.
On Maulud Nabi, a holiday honoring the birth of Muhammad, the
prophet and founder of Islam, worshippers carry mounds of
rice
and fresh fruit in a parade. The rice is blessed and divided among
festivalgoers.The rice harvest itself is also a cause for celebration.The
very first bull race of Madura took place in a rice field after the crop
had been harvested.
The recipes that follow are dishes that are enjoyed du
ring
Indonesian holidays, festivals, or special occasions. In the spirit of an
Indonesian celebration, invite a group of friends over to
sample
these delights.
Pork Sate (recipe on page 66) is marinated for extra zest and served with
a spicy

peanut sauce (recipe on page 37).


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