Terraced rice fields climb the slopes of Bali's most
holy mountain, Gunung Agung, like steps to heaven. When tender seedlings
are first trans planted, they are slender spikes of green, mirrored
in the silver waters of the irrigated fields. Within a couple of months,
the fields become solid sheets of emerald, which turn slowly to rich
gold as the grains ripen. Although irrigated rice fields cover no
more than 20 percent of Ball's arable land, the overwhelming impression
is a landscape of endless fertile paddy fields slashed by deep ravines
and backed by dramatic mountains.
Rice,
the staple food of the Balinese, nourishes both body and soul. As
else- where in Asia, the word for cooked rice (nasi)
is synonymous with the word for meal. If a Balinese has a bowl of
noodles, it's regarded as just a snack-with-out rice, it cannot be
considered a meal.
Red,
black, white and yellow are the four sacred colours in Bali, each
representing a particular manifestation of God. Although the majority
of rice cultivated on the island is white reddish-brown rice and black
glutinous rice are also grown. The vivid juice of the turmeric root
is added when yellow rice is needed on festive occasions.
A
big plate of steamed white rice (usually eater at room temperature)
is the usual way rice is presented, although it appears in countless
other guises. The most common Balinese breakfast is a snack of boiled
rice-flour dumplings sweetened with palm sugar syrup and freshly grated
coconut. All types of rice are made into various other sweet desserts
and cakes.
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