New Food Friday...Where Do I Begin??

In my 5 weeks in the States, I didn't write much(or at all...oops!) in my blog and I definitely didn't really try many new foods...I mostly ate all my favorite things! But, since being back in Indonesia, I've definitely tried enough new food to cover all those weeks. During Idul Fitri(the major holidayfor Muslims in Indonesia after the 30 days of fasting for Ramadan), it's custom to visit friends at their home. With that comes a lot of eating because they'll always offer food. This past week I think everything I've had at someone's house has been a new food for me! There have been lots of soups, cookies, and side dishes that I haven't tried before, but since I can't remember for the life of me what most of them are called I'll go with the one I remember(and my favorite one I tried!).

Dendeng Ragi is made with cut up beef and topped with a mixture of spices and flaked coconut that's panfried. It was so delicious!! This is definitely a dish that I'm going to learn how to make! 

I tried the dendeng ragi at my friend, Ririn's house. Myself and a couple other families from the language school we go to visited her family for Idul Fitri. Her family had made a ton of food for us and every dish was a new food I've never tried before.

Ririn's family is such a sweet family! It was great to go to her kampung, meet her parents and grandmother and see where she lives. Below are a couple more pics from our time spent at her house.

As is customary during Ramadan and especially Idul Fitri, people set off fireworks and firecrackers. These guys tied them all on a rope and set them off all at once. People lined the street to watch...and yes, it all started before 7AM :)

 

Ririn(left) and Puji(right) waiting for the show to begin!

 

After we ate the amazing meal, Ririn and Puji took us on a tour of the area where they live which included the rice padi fields and the cemetary nearby where everyone in that kampung is buried.
 

Just hanging out in the fields...I could spend all day there. It's beautiful!