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Environmentally friendly plates find their way to more tables
Wasti Atmodjo , Contributor , Denpasar | Thu, 11/13/2008 10:36 AM | Bali
Attending a party or gathering held by a Balinese family -- either rich or poor -- and you will hardly find the luxurious china dining set and white-linen table cloth you would expect at a similar Western event.
Instead, most of the party food will be served on woven-bamboo plates known as ingke. These vessels, while modest, do not compromise the appeal of a meal, expect your food to be presented beautifully.
When attending a party at the home of Desak Sutrisnawati in the art village of Ubud, Gianyar, Balinese talents were vividly displayed in the cuisine and party decorations.
On the guest table, two large wooden dishes were decorated with janur, or young coconut leaves, filled with a vast array of traditional cakes known as Jaje Bali. This was accompanied by nuts, crackers and soft drinks. Guests were given an ingke filled with cakes and snacks.
On the dining table, a large variety of main course dishes were presented on wooden plates. Guests then served themselves food from the ingkes.
Many families do not offer forks or spoons because the majority of Balinese people eat using their fingers.
"Using ingke is very practical and low-cost. They are unbreakable and easy to maintain. We cover the ingke with banana leaves so that the food is clean. Besides, you don't have to wash piles of plates after the party. After the party, just throw away the banana leaves or, as some people now use, oily paper. It's so easy," Desak explained.
Ingke can be made from weaving bamboo, rattan, coconut leaves, pandanus leaves among other natural materials.
According to Wayan Geriya, an anthropologist at the University of Udayana in Denpasar, ingke is a "common formal" household utensil for Balinese families as well as other ethnic groups in Indonesia. "It is a universal kitchen utensil found in many agrarian societies in Indonesia and other Asian countries," he added.
In Bali, Ingke not only functions as a household utensils, but also as a ceremonial tool. It has long been used to present offerings during religious rituals.
In Karangasem Regency, East Bali, people use a large ingke to for communal meals. This tradition is called Megibung. Here ingke has an important social function, uniting people in a collective community.
Ni Nyoman Agus, an ingke seller at Pemecutan market in downtown Denpasar, said that more and more tamu, a term referring to foreign and domestic visitors, buy her ingke.
"Many of them buy more than a hundred ingkes and take them back to their homes in Jakarta, Surabaya and even to foreign countries," Nyoman said, adding that she frequently receives bulk orders from her clientele across Indonesia.
Many restaurants in Jakarta and other big cities also use ingke to serve their food on. Nyoman said she gets her ingke from Bila village in Singaraja, North Bali.
"Their products are famous for their high-quality," she said. She sells the items for between Rp 1,000 to Rp 4,000 per piece, depending on the quality and size.
Yulita, a buyer, explained that ingke is a unique and environmentally friendly utensil. "It's time to promote natural-friendly living, by using natural things and non-chemical goods," she said. Using ingke might be a start to going back to the nature.
