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Introducing the new communal dining style 'liwetan'
Lately, there has been a new local food trend appearing on Instagram called liwetan or bancakan.
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"Liwetan" or "bancakan" features rice and an assortment of dishes, including fried chicken, fried salted fish, hard-boiled salted eggs and vegetables, served on top of a banana leaf spread. (Shutterstock/File)
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ately, a new local food trend has arisen on Instagram. Called liwetan or bancakan, the newly founded dining style features rice and an assortment of dishes, including fried chicken, fried salted fish, hard-boiled salted eggs and vegetables, served on top of a banana leaf spread.
Though the name implies that the dining style must have come from the Sundanese tradition, the assumption is not entirely correct.
Kaum restaurant brand director Lisa Virgiano said the liwetan culture could be traced back to the kenduri tradition.
Meanwhile, Indonesian culinary expert William Wongso told The Jakarta Post via telephone that the word “liwet” means a traditional way of cooking rice with a mix of spices.
“Nasi liwet is originally from Solo [Central Java],” said William, adding that each area in Indonesia had its own term for the cooking method.
William explained that a tradition of sharing food never existed in the island of Java. “There is kenduri or the tumpengan ritual for blessings [or remembrance], but the food is served by portion.”
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As for the new food trend, William said that it must have been inspired by the ethnic Arab dining style.
Apparently, William is right.
Suap Sedap Catering owner Shintya Pranawati, the pioneer of the trend, admitted to the Post that she was inspired by the communal dining style of Middle Eastern restaurants.
“I made liwetan during the fasting month last year,” said Shintya, explaining that the banana leaves were chosen as she wanted to avoid using a lot of plates.
"I chose Sundanese food because my mother and I love it," she said.
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The new liwetan came up on social media and started to attract public attention due to its unique way of serving. Since then, Shintya began to receive orders for the communal dining.
While in the beginning Shintya only served Sundanese dishes, now the catering service has added more dishes, including nasi daun jeruk (rice cooked with lime leaves), nasi tutug oncom (rice cooked with fermented soybean) and more. However, the serving style remains the same.
The trend is currently becoming more popular as people tend to look for new ways to host guests at home or celebrate an occasion at the office. However, William said the serving style caused food waste.
Lisa shared a different opinion though, believing the trend was a way to revive local traditions.
“Instagram makes the food look more attractive. I have to say that it makes liwetan or kenduri look more appealing,” said Lisa. (kes)
