A refreshing drizzle had just started that afternoon when Ni Wayan Puspawati left her modest home in Penglipuran village with a large tray on her head. Banana leaf cups were neatly arranged atop the tray and each contained tiny slabs of cakes topped with mounds of grated coconut.

Called sueg, after the bulbous tuber crop also known as elephant foot yam that is processed into the delicacy, the traditional cake has become the signature food of the village and a source of income for Puspawati.

She walked along the village’s main road and greeted groups of tourists, who strolled leisurely while admiring the traditional architecture of the village. Designated as one of the island’s tourist villages, Penglipuran preserves most of the traditional architecture of the Balinese housing compound and has long been the preferred site for visitors wishing to observe an authentic Balinese village.

Puspawati made several stops at the homes of her loyal customers, who by that time had already prepared cups of hot coffee to be savored with the cakes.

“Warm sueg and hot coffee means only one thing: a perfect afternoon,” a customer quipped with a wide smile on his face.

On the last leg of her sales trip, Puspawati stationed herself by the village’s main road, trying to get the attention of passing tourists. Some stopped and asked about the cake. A few made a leap of faith and went away with some.

“Here sueg is not a cultivated crop. My family has a large grove and my son and I usually search for wild sueg there,” Puspawati said.

“We have to be very careful in selecting the sueg that we harvest because some varieties are not edible.”

The harvested tubers are washed thoroughly and cut into small pieces before being steamed.

“The steamed sueg is served with freshly grated coconut and caramelized palm sugar.”

A serving of sueg is sold at Rp 2,000 (15 US cents) and it is available in Penglipuran only in May and June, the harvest season for wild sueg.

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