Culinary Tours : Cimplung

Culinary Tours : Cimplung

Cimplung term must be a lot of people who do not know what the name actually? Name of the village once, or a container made of coconut shell or lazy dunno guess. Yes indeed cimplung foreign names, especially for the name of a typical food of a region. Compared with Geplak, lanting, fried or bapia gethuk pathok, cimplung fame was losing far less likely to arise even among the local specialty-by.

I do not know the first and tend to strange to hear the name called cimplung food. Starting 4 years ago, when it also fit my Lebaran forth in whom a trip to a country which I forget his name, which must still include the Ajibarang - Purwokwerto. At that time I visited a friend's house in the area, and as my friend that I thought the food served at the time strange. Boiled cassava wrapped with a similar liquid sugar. Slowly it tasted good, too, sweet as sugar together with cassava. Four years passed, for some reason during Lebaran forth this year I remember the food was cimplung name. Because I said simply want cimplung want cimplung, then on the third day after Idul Fitri took my wife to an area which is cimplung makers. I eagerly and his wife and son went to a village called Sudimara. A village located in the hills between the city and Purwokerto Ajibarang. These areas are regions of many coconut trees grow.

Happened to relatives who live there, so we can see how and from what materials it cimplung foods. Now I know why these foods can not be distinguished as food by-by others, because cimplung was never mass-produced to be marketed. Food is just a distraction cimplung local residents who work to make palm sugar. The men in the village early in the morning leave for coconut plantations to nderes, which takes water from the coconut flower or aren called by placing a piece of bamboo to accommodate the sugar water. They are very agile in climbing coconut, it may have become a habit. After noon the bamboo palm containing water is collected and under the home.

Turn up at home moms or the girls in charge cooking sugar water into palm sugar. Well at the time of this palm sugar cooking process cimplung included. It turned out to be made that not only cimplung cassava, but there are also banana, coconut, taro and many more. Manufacturing process is also easy, at the time of sugar water boiled in a place like a frying pan but the middle is more concave, after looking hot materials that will be entered cimplung. Old boiling depends cimplung's materials. usually when cassava cooking long time.

Cimplung ready while waiting for our first walk ya to the palm sugar production is bigger, if not here because cimplung make this place a home industry of making palm sugar. From the sugar boil until thickened to half the sugar palm, bamboo and then printed with a short cut. After about an hour palm sugar is already frozen in the mold and then removed ready for sale. It is time we return to the place that makes cimplung brother, had to imagine the joy ya palm sugar is absorbed into the cassava or coconut. Cimplung a typical food villages around Purwokerto which is still hidden pleasures, just for people who want to enjoy the pristine food. Food where someone wants to enjoy the simplicity of the farmers with palm sugar is always a friendly smile to accept guests who visit. A simplicity without beautiful poems.

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur Temple

Who does not know Borobudur? This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in its complex. Millions of people are eager to visit this building as one of the World Wonder Heritages. It is not surprising since architecturally and functionally, as the place for Buddhists to say their prayer, Borobudur is attractive.

Borobudur was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of Old Mataram Kingdom, the descendant of Sailendra dynasty. Based on Kayumwungan inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed that Borobudur was a place for praying that was completed to be built on 26 May 824, almost one hundred years from the time the construction was begun. The name of Borobudur, as some people say, means a mountain having terraces (budhara), while other says that Borobudur means monastery on the high place.

Borobudur is constructed as a ten-terraces building. The height before being renovated was 42 meters and 34.5 meters after the renovation because the lowest level was used as supporting base. The first six terraces are in square form, two upper terraces are in circular form, and on top of them is the terrace where Buddha statue is located facing westward. Each terrace symbolizes the stage of human life. In line with of Buddha Mahayana, anyone who intends to reach the level of Buddha's must go through each of those life stages.

The base of Borobudur, called Kamadhatu, symbolizes human being that are still bound by lust. The upper four stories are called Rupadhatu symbolizing human beings that have set themselves free from lust but are still bound to appearance and shape. On this terrace, Buddha effigies are placed in open space; while the other upper three terraces where Buddha effigies are confined in domes with wholes are called Arupadhatu, symbolizing human beings that have been free from lust, appearance and shape. The top part that is called Arupa symbolizes nirvana, where Buddha is residing.

All relief panels in Borobudur temple reflect Buddha's teachings. For the reason, this temple functions as educating medium for those who want to learn Buddhism. We suggests that you walk through each narrow passage in Borobudur in order for you to know the philosophy of Buddhism. Atisha, a Buddhist from India in the tenth century once visited this temple that was built 3 centuries before Angkor Wat in Cambodia and 4 centuries before the Grand Cathedrals in Europe.

A question about Borobudur that is still unanswered by far is how the condition around the temple was at the beginning of its foundation and why at the time of it's finding the temple was buried. Some hypotheses claim that Borobudur in its initial foundation was surrounded by swamps and it was buried because of Merapi explosion. It was based on Kalkutta inscription with the writing 'Amawa' that means sea of milk. The Sanskrit word was used to describe the occurrence of disaster. The sea of milk was then translated into Merapi lava. Some others say that Borobudur was buried by cold lava of Merapi Mountain. With the existing greatness and mystery, it makes sense if many people put Borobudur in their agenda as a place worth visiting in their lives.