not exactly on the beaten path but east timor was where i found myself tasting the basics that make an excellent meal.
after all, nobody ever says for a good meal, head to east timor. but there is a treasure trove there - the fusion of portuguese culinary tradition with the freshest bounty from the sea and exotic spices from the land. and the lovely sea breeze.
off i went to east timor, which is the english translation of its name in tetum - timor lorosae (which means timor where the sun rises) or in portuguese - timor leste, and of course, in bahasa indonesia - timor timur.
so there i was, with a couple of colleagues, at bali's ngurah rai airport in denpasar and wondering what to bring to east timor's capital dili. it wasn't really a pleasure trip, and even as i blog (does one ever write these days) i am still in a dalliance in dili.
still, work is always a pleasure. and a bit of plonk adds to the pleasure. always.
went for the bottle of port at the duty-free outlet in ngurah rai airport. it was taylor's late bottled vintage port 2000. it was the oldest grape juice we could find in the airport as everything else was produced 2003 onwards.
we opened the bottle a few days after settling into life in dili where the shops stayed shuttered and one had to pay a fortune for dodgy food in the hotel and the lone indian shop that was opened - a cup of rasam was going for us$1.50. daylight robbery man!
none in the crew, save me, had had port. so it started absolutely sweet for them until a second generous helping got them in the spirit of things.
the deep-hued blackish purple wine slipped in smoothly with a strong kick, like a prize-winning thoroughbred that it will end up to be in the years to come. one could sense the bouquet of ripe raspberries, blueberries and plum in this lovely port.
it tasted fresh and felt textured, giving a warm cosy feeling that beckoned one to sleep and dream of the stars that twinkle above east timor.
have to say, we finished the bottle in three days. nice.
days later, when some shopkeepers tentatively opened despite the ever present fear of violence that has shrouded the city, we had our taste of good timorese coffee and the sweetest tart that could rival the port.
timorese coffee is basically a mild arabica that is acknowledged as organically grown. well, it is a bit far from anywhere and fertilisers are hard to come by. with its reputation, the tiny nation has been exporting tonnes of it to coffee chains around the world.
one of the chains that use timorese coffee is the portuguese coffee producer delta cafes and its coffee is the one mainly brewed and drunk in the cafes of dili. a wonderful bitter black cuppa, especially the espresso. makes one tingle and feel most alive as the caffeine zaps and zips through the grey matter, making it a bun dia or good day throughout.
and to add the touch of paradise, one has to match the coffee with the absolutely heavenly portuguese tarts or rather pasteis de natas from the city cafe in downtown dili.
the simplest of egg tarts with flaky pastry and more than a hint of cinnamon in it, the tart melts in the mouth and the sweetness slathers around, combining perfectly with the coffee.
been having it frequently but the tarts are sold out within hours and its a lucky person who gets it first.
there are the rare portuguese seafood restaurants that opened during my stay but was too hungry to snap photographs. just follow your sense if you are ever in east timor and if all else fails, just go for the coffee and tarts.
and yes, a bottle of port if possible.
landed in singapore and bought a balvenie double wood. the funny thing about the red dot is that you can buy a litre of hard liquor/spirits together with a litre of wine and another litre of beer as your duty-free entitlement upon arrival.
