Imagine Bourdain, but instead of decades of drug abuse, he grew up Mormon and only worked as a cook for like 9 cumulative months.
When I first came to Timor-Leste, I had the opportunity to meet the Nobel Peace Prize winner and founding father of this young nation President Jose Ramos-Horta. To lighten the tone, I asked him for his favorite dishes in his country. He seemed confused so I rephrased to ask his favorite food to eat in Timor-Leste. His answer? Japanese. He then went on to point out that Timor-Leste doesn’t have the same culinary tradition as other southeast Asian nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, or Thailand. This section is dedicated to why I think that is a shame.
April 2023 - December 2023
Some food from the Martins’ family, but not the same one from the previous section. Same area, same last name, different families.
Despite cooking prolifically while living in San Diego, I rarely take up the tongs in Timor. Mostly because it’s difficult to encroach on established duties of the household while being extremely easy to eat food without doing the work of making it. Every now and then I do whip something together, though I rarely take any photos. The highlights you’ll have to use your imagination for are hominy grits, mung bean falafel, and various curries. I swear they were good.
Boiled mung beans with boiled unripe bananas. Curiously common with many boiled foods is the lack of salt. Perhaps to allow the eater to choose how much they'd like? The same idea doesn't apply to coffee which is always sweetened before shared. With so many Chinese shops available, I usually eat my boiled beans with soy sauce and chili crisp.
The corn lady selling her grain. All loose products are either sold prebagged or dispered via a trusty rusty can.
You'll only ever see "tia"s selling fruits, vegetables, and grains in Timor. Great time to hang out and gossip over a few aliums.
This haul of tempeh, peanuts, and carrots? About $3.
We hired a guide to take us to the top of Mt Manukoko on Atauro. He showed us this local yet little known nut.
Conveniently located under the nut tree is a rock with perfect molds to hold the nut before it gets smashed.
These grotesque American paws were unfortunately too much to handle for the little nut. All the others came out better. Like a creamier walnut
The European mind can't comprehend the pleasures of Green Bean and Sweet Potato Casseroles.
Most of the Thanksgiving spread from our much-appreciated dinner at our director's home.
What's better than a single can of cranberry sauce?
I've been on a quest to try every single pastel de nata in Timor-Leste before I eventually make my way to Lisbon for the original. This one may not of been one of the highlights for its taste or texture, but takes the cake for how wittle it is. Look how small this little dude is next to a very small copy of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
A proper pastel de nata from the best in Dili, Pateo Supermercado. Seriously, they might be my favorite non-indulgent pastry. So lovely.
They got a freaking Spongebob restaurant in Dili. The only thing better is that it makes absolutely zero reference to the show. Camp??
The kindness and joyed shared by the women of DaTerra Hostel in Dili is unmatched. They're lovely and the real reason I travel to Dili.
One of the best meals I've had on the island. Just outside of DaTerra is a fresh fish market with a huge diversity of seafood available. Next to the fillet is 'kanko' aka water spinach. White rice is the norm in TL, but I greatly appreciate the flavor of brown. Finishing the dish is a spicy tomato sauce, jackfruit soup, and a blimbi salsa. Blimbi is an exceptionally dry, sour, and bright fruit that makes for a great accompanying sauce.
Christmas dinner! Featuring my very own special of roasted chickpeas. It's very uncommon to eat new foods here, so after everyone served themselves and left the garbanzos alone, I went around scooping them only people's plates. Turns out despite their fears, they loved them. Going clockwise we have boiled bitter melon, "Espaghuet", and stir-fried cassava leaves.
January 2023 - April 2023
The Food of Peace Corps Training in Gleno From the Martin’s Family
Lightly fried Jackfruit with a sweet fishy hot sauce with the always present very darkly roasted and highly sugared coffee. The jackfruit has a wonderful meaty chew to it that is so different from the canned variety we get in the US. The light fry adds a touch of richness, but most importantly a subtle crunch that pairs perfectly with the chew. It brings everything you'd want from a chicken tender to the table with a more interesting flavor.
This isn't any jackfruit, but a special kind only found in the distant Baucau municipality. I can't yet say how it differs, but I do know it is as delicious as it is prized (very). "ai-manas" is the name of the chili paste served with every dish. This one is very very different than most because not only does it have a sweet element, but I think my family used the sauce from my can of chili sardines from breakfast. Resourceful! While I'm not a fan of this style of coffee, the bitter-sweet just pairs so well with the salty and spicy. Easily the best snack combo I've had.
Beans and Greens! An absolute staple of mine in the US happens to be a staple here as well, to my heart's content. I've seen this style of egg called "tiger egg" in chinese cooking. It is a hardboiled egg that is then fried, in this case in a tomato sauce.
Well spiced rice mix cooked in weaved coconut leaf. Very tasty, but not worth the hassle to eat often. Lovely for a special occasion
Binggo, a white chocolate banana waffle treat. Has the texture of a soggy wafer. It also isn't wafer, but the association is hard to ignore. The banana is very artificial, but the novelty isn't.
Batar dan! Translated to boiled corn, which might not sound appetizing, but the translation does not do it justice.
Corn, beans, and greens. Corn is often the only whole grain found in many parts of Timor-Leste. While they don't nixtamalize here (yet) it's great to load up on the fiber with this hardy bowl.
Weenies!! The most common meat eaten here are sliced hot dogs. Mustard greens are also the most common vegetable and second only to white rice in most common food.
I love the heavy braise style they cook all leafy greens here. Usually cooked with a bouillon mix or a nice dash of ajinimoto.
Soft tofu braised with turmeric, garlic, onion, and basil. Almost has a cheesy quality to it. Very enjoyable, though that may just be the yellow talking.
Avocado and boiled cassava. Cassava is extremely common, with being eating both the root and the leafs. The root is the most common afternoon snack of choice in the Domingues Martin household.
This will be very hard to believe for anyone from the US, especially California, but the Timorese do not like avocado. Despite it growing prolifically here, it is relegated to pig's food or maybe a rare smoothie with chocolate and condensed milk. When I tell people I eat avocado with salt, they are beyond shocked. As a result, one can go to the market to find 6 grapefruit sized avocados for $1.
Delicious small fish poached in a tomato sauce. Despite being up in the mountains, fresh fish is abundantly available.
