Bencoolen kitchen: Bengkulu, Sumatra

The province of Bengkulu was a renowned trading post in the early 19th century among societies scattered around the Indian Ocean.

Between 1818 and 1823, the British Governor-General of Java, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, resided in Bengkaulu, as it was then referred to.

Gastronome and epicurean el supremo, Suryatini N. Ganie, explores the history and the special food of this fascinating place:

According to Bengkulu historians, Raffles enjoyed staying there for the region’s spectacular landscape, vegetable production and commercial opportunities. He was also involved in an effort to break the Dutch pepper monopoly. He also introduced coffee and tea plantations to the region.

Bencoolen, as it was later renamed by the English, was indeed a lucrative place.

Rice was a very important staple of the local inhabitants and was produced in abundance in the region, thus making it a lucrative commercial commodity.

The common varieties of rice (oryza sativa) planted at the time were the large-grained padi ebbas and the round-grained andalong (William Marsden, History of Sumatra). There were also high-quality varieties of rice such as the kuning, which was of a deep-yellow color.

Rice is called padi while it is in the husk, bras (beras) when separated from the husk and nasi when it is cooked. These terms are derived from Malay and are still used in the Indonesian language today.

Today’s Bengkulu cuisine makes use of the abundant coconut growing in the region. It is considered an essential ingredient in many Bengkulu recipes.

The inside part of the coconut is grated and pressed to make coconut milk and coconut oil. In more recent times, virgin coconut oil has been used to combat viruses.

Jagong or corn (jagung in Indonesian) has grown in the Bencoolen region since the days of Raffles, but is more common in neighboring Batak country where corn ears are roasted while still green.

The cuisine of Bengkulu has always been spicy. The spices required to achieve the authentic Bengkulu taste have always been cultivated in the region.

The vegetables used in this cuisine are also plentiful in the region. One of the most popular vegetables in Bengkulu today is the eggplant or trong (terung in Indonesian), which comes in several varieties.

In Bengkulu language the eggplant is called brinjal like in Malaysia and Singapore. The word brinjal is derived from the Portuguese word berengelhas.

Visitors to Bengkulu, including Raffles, considered the local people to be very friendly. I experienced such hospitality myself during my extended family’s Idul Fitri celebrations.

Some relatives in my family call themselves Basahan dari Bengkulu. Though basah means wet in Bahasa Indonesia, basahan in this context relates to “General Ali Basah Sentot”.

Why? Some centuries ago, a Central-Javanese general, or basah as they were then referred to in Javanese military circles, was imprisoned by the Dutch in Bengkulu. Later he married some local beauties and future generations of the family are still proud of these historical ties.

So on Idul Fitri my family enjoy Bengkulu dishes too.

Suryatini N. Ganie