Tropical fruit jam: Awani jam and marmalade products are ready for distribution to hotels, restaurants and stores.

These are more than just something you spread on your morning slice of toast. These jams and marmalades represent Bali’s artistry, culture and craftsmanship in every single jar.

Bali-based artisanal food company Awani blends the traditional western craft of hand-making preserves in small, open pan batches, but instead of using apples, Seville oranges and blueberries, they use the abundance of tropical fruit on the islands of Indonesia. Some of the jams and marmalades even have more unusual flavors, with a twist of ginger. These are the real tastes of tropical fruit from the archipelago.

Fragrant, juicy mangoes, succulent sun-drenched pineapples, luscious zingy limes, aromatic pink guavas and many other types of fruit are part of the Bali tropical experience.

“We are fortunate to be able to create our products in the midst of this fertile terrain, part of Indonesia’s volcanic ring of fire, where delicious tropical fruit grows profusely thanks to the nourishment of volcanic soil and the intense cycle of tropical sunshine and monsoon rainfall,” said founder Yip Lee.

As a Malaysian national with experience of working in food companies in Indonesia, Yip was determined to create a brand with international quality that could compete with western labels.

He said the specific idea of producing jam did not come until around 10 years ago, when more people became more interested in exotic fruits, especially those living in Europe.

“We know that the demand is high, and people still buy those fruits even though the prices are expensive. I also discovered that high-quality tropical fruit jams and marmalades were hard to find. We couldn’t find any, so we created them,” Yip told The Jakarta Post.

That was how the brand Awani was created. Awani means earth in old Balinese. The name Awani reflects the Balinese reverence for nature.

The island was considered a good place to start since it is a “very international place”, where jams are consumed on a daily basis in hotels and restaurants. But the idea of getting started in Bali was more than this practical reason.

The inspiration for Awani’s tropical fruit preserves comes from the island, where Balinese culture places great importance on doing things with care, refinement and elegance.

Attention to detail can be seen in all aspects of Balinese life, from the hospitality, to flower offerings, stone and wood carving workmanship. In their crafts and customs, the Balinese are always inventive and open to new ideas.

“In this spirit, the core of Awani’s craft is to bring together two worlds — one, the European tradition of making fruit preserves by hand in small batches, and the other, tropical fruit,” said co-founder Heather Li, who grew up and is now based in the UK, with experience of working across Asia.

“This is about keeping the tradition of creating something of beauty by hand. Every single jar of Awani jam is handmade, from the preparation of the fruit, to cooking, bottling and labeling,” she said.

The label and package designs are inspired by the wonderful aesthetics of Balinese artistry and culture. A main feature in the design is the distinctive black and white checked cloth called poleng. It is ubiquitous in Bali, wrapped around statues, drums, trees, stones and people.

The checks represent balance in the world: white for good, black for evil. The interweaving of white and black thread creates gray checks, which signify that good cannot exist without evil. Meanwhile, the logo is a modernized form of calligraphy based on the ancient Kawi script.

Sustainability of the environment, people and culture is a key approach taken by the company, which has predominantly Balinese staff, who are part of a tightly knit community at home and within Awani.

The work of coaxing gorgeous tropical fruit into the sublime flavors experienced in the jams and marmalades takes place in Awani’s kitchen in the highlands of Bali, precisely in Luwus, an area between Denpasar and Bedugul, Tabanan.

The kitchen sits in the grounds of a beautiful little farm, a typical example of a Balinese mixed farm, self-sustaining with many different types of fruit trees, as well as cacao trees and coffee bushes.

Almost done: Employees arrange jars of jam and marmalade before labeling the products.

A traditional Balinese eight-pillared wooden building has been converted into a spacious modern kitchen that still maintains the spirit of the original structure. The exterior wood and red brick features of the original building remain.

The company buys its fruit mainly from small, family-owned farms throughout the country, known as mixed farms. A typical mixed farm will produce fruit and vegetables, and rear a small number of livestock.

“We support these farmers by buying non-commercial grades of fruit, paying a premium for late-picked fruit, which encourages farmers to grow higher quality produce, and creates a commercial demand for fruit that is commonly grown at home,” Yip said.

Most tropical fruits are characterized by their delicate, fragrant flavors. Preserving these flavors in the cooking process requires an equally sensitive approach.

“We inspect, sort and grade every single fruit, so that we can select only the best quality fruit for our tropical fruit preserves. The fruit is then gently cooked, in small batches using the traditional open pan method, which allows us to preserve the delicate and delightful flavors,” said Yip, while showing the production process in the kitchen.

After running for eight years, the jams started to be supplied to Bali and Jakarta’s best hotels. The company has also been successful in entering the European market. When Awani was brought to London in 2014, its first customers were Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, regarded as the city’s top department stores.

This year, Awani celebrated another success as an award winner in the prestigious Global Marmalade Competition in Dalemain, the UK, where the company became the first Indonesian producer to enter and win gold for its Lime Marmalade with Ginger, silver for its Lime Marmalade and bronze for its Balinese Tangerine Marmalade.

In 2015, the Guild of Fine Food UK awarded six Great Taste Awards to Awani for its Mango Jam, Pink Guava Jam, Pineapple Jam, Lime Marmalade and Lime Marmalade with Fresh Young Ginger.

“We are proud to be a homegrown Indonesian company that has gained international recognition, and at the same time maintain a strong emphasis on running every aspect of our business respectfully and responsibly,” Heather said.

— Photos by Stanny Angga

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