Rice Jamblang — West Java, Indonesia

Nasi Jamblang is steamed rice packed into small parcels wrapped in teak leaf rather than the banana leaf used elsewhere in Java, a wrapping said to leave a faint, distinctive scent on the grains. The rice itself is plain; the character of the meal comes from the side dishes chosen alongside it. The dish is reported from Cirebon, on the north coast of West Java, and its name recalls the district west of the city where vendors first sold it from roadside stalls. It is eaten buffet-style: parcels of rice are set out with dozens of small side dishes, and diners point to whichever combination they want plated together. Rice is steamed until tender and portioned while still warm into teak-leaf parcels, which are folded closed so the rice keeps its shape and a little of the leaf's aroma. Alongside it, cooks fry tofu and tempeh, simmer chicken or beef in sweet soy sauce, fry eggs, and grind chili, shallot, garlic and tomato into a fresh sambal, each dish kept in its own tray for diners to choose from. What distinguishes nasi jamblang from other wrapped rice of the Java coast is this open, buffet-style service built around dozens of separate side dishes rather than a small, fixed set served together, so no two plates need to be assembled the same way.