GLOSSARY OF INGREDIENTS

BASE WANGEN : the FRANGRANT SEEDS and NUTS
This combination of fragrant seeds and nuts is used in all ceremonial foods and many other everyday dishes. This combination is unique to Bali and varies slightly from region to region.
Base mean spice paste, wangen mean fragrant.

CANDLENUT : KEMIRI
Obtained from the candleberry tree, this creamy coloured nut is related to the macadamia and similar in appearance. Used as a thickening agent to hold spices together, it is soft, oily and easy to work in to paste. It is one of the few nuts that should not be eaten raw, as its high oil content renders it a natural laxative. Candlenut is rich in proteins, calories and fats and has a pleasant mild flavour
Substitute : macadamias, almond, cashews or Brazil nuts.

CLOVE : CENGKEH
These beautiful slim trees have bright green and pink leaves studded with clusters of clove buds, which are dried out for further use. Cloves are not used frequently in Balinese cooking, in fact, their intense camphor like fragrance and powerful flavour is more prized in the Indonesian cigarettes known as kretek.

CORIANDER SEEDS : KETUMBAR
Related to parsley, the refreshing orange flavour of coriander is a main ingredient in curries and may be used as substitute for pepper. The whole sleds, freshly ground are far superior to the powdered variety and should be bought only in small quantities. Coriander is one of the ingredient use in boreh, a Balinese herbal paste that warms the body and helps alleviate congestion. Coriander cools the body and settles the stomach.
Coriander leaves are not use in Balinese cooking.

NUTMEG : PALA
A native of Indonesia, nutmeg has a powerful bitter sweet flavour that cools the tongue, aids digestion and liver function, prevents discoloration of the skin and scar formation. Nutmeg is also said to be highly poisonous because it contains myristicin and elemicin, both toxic narcotic substances. When taken in large quantities, nutmeg is powerful hallucinogenic, when taken in small quantities, it helps you sleep, and in ayurvedic medicine is prescribed for insomnia. In Bali fresh nutmeg is available at the market, either loose or still in its shell. It’s mainly used with beef and pork and in curries.
Substitute : Dried nutmeg

PEPPER : MERICA
Pepper was one of the first spices ever used in cooking, it was an important article of trade in early times, it enhances any food, stimulate the appetite, and cures digestive ailments. Black is more aromatic, white is hotter. Best freshly ground.

LONG PEPPER : TABIABUN
This is another type of pepper available in Bali. Its hotter and sweeter than black pepper and is shaped almost like a chilli.

SESAME SEEDS “ LENGE, WIJEN
Sesame is a native to Indonesia, India and tropical Africa and is one of the world’s oldest seeds. When ground, it works as a thickening agent while adding that subtle sweet sesame flavour. It’s a key ingredient in base wangen and seldom used on its own. For Balinese cooking, the organic unhulled seeds are preferred.
Sesame is high in calcium
Substitute : Tahini paste

BASE WANGEN :
1 tsp. whole black pepper, ½ tsp. whole pepper 3 ground candlenut, 3 long pepper, 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg, 1 tsp. sesame seeds, 2 cloves