What's so special about the Special Region of Jogjakarta?

At first glance it looks like a gritty labyrinth of narrow streets with an impossible number of cars, scooters becaks (pedicabs) and pony carts all competing for road space. Bit by bit, as you get to know the special region of Yogyakarta,  you discover a city which is equally home to Sultans, burger shops, batik and advertising hoardings - and where you can find almost anything - old and new, ancient and modern. 

Our new motto: expect the unexpected. This blog will track my discoveries over the next ten months, sharing Hal's and my adventures in our new home. 

Firstly a bit of orientation. Not to be confused with the capital Jakarta, Indonesia's frantic financial and administrative centre to the west, Jogja is situated between the island of Bali to the east and Sumatra to the West. Borneo is to the north and Christmas Island to the south. 

Known as the soul of Java, the region is also one of the most crowded places on the island. With a population of 135 million Java itself is the most densely populated island on the planet! Something you can quickly get a sense of in Jogja's traffic - which I might add is nowhere near as bad as Jakarta's.

Our new home is special in a number of other ways. Situated on the southern coast of Indonesia's largest island (there are 17,000 in total), Jogjakarta the only region in Indonesia that is still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy, the Sultan of Jogjakarta.  

Jogjakarta is naturally proud of its special administrative status which was awarded to the region due to its important roll in the Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949) - more on that later!

The only non-elected official in Indonesian state, the Sultan acts as the hereditary governor of the region and enjoys enormous popularity with the people. Exploring the old walled palace or kraton in the centre of the city is first on the list of must-see things to do. 

Living in Jogja means we are watched over by Mount Merapi, which sits smouldering a mere 30 kilometers away. A not very reassuring National Geographic article lists it as one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes. It last erupted in October 2010 killing and injuring many - and displacing around 100,000 residents nearby. 

Jogjakarta's geographic distinctiveness is just the beginning. Known as the center of classical Javanese fine art and culture, such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows it's also one of Indonesia's most renowned centers of higher education. 

The city sprawls in all directions from the kraton, with the the core of the modern city to the north. Over 100 public and private higher education institutions are located here and Jogja attracts students from across Indonesia and the region - including plenty of Australians. With so many young minds congregating here to learn, there's also an exciting scene for modern music, art and self-expression as well as activism. 

As if the array of food, art, culture and industry wasn't enough, Jogjakarta also boasts Indonesia's most important historical sites - Borubadur and Prambanan.

So it's into this rich landscape that we find ourselves for a year of living curiously. I'll keep you posted!

Gudeg city

What is going on with my tastebuds?

A week or two into my ten months in the village of Tembi (Jogjakarta region of Java, Indonesia) and I'm already looking for sambal on my sandwich, scanning the side streets for fatty fried snacks, and ordering nasi goreng--a spicey fried rice--for breakfast (and actually enjoying it!).

So when the offer of trying out the best Gudeg in Jogja comes up I don't hesitate. A 25 minute cab ride to the north in the drizzling rain through weaving traffic is a small price to pay for a chance to try out another exotic Indonesian delicacy.

Jogja is sometimes known as Kota Gudeg (Gudeg City) and you can find kaki limas (literally five legs - tiny mobile food carts on wheels), warungs (simple street stalls) and rumah makan (restaurants) selling their version of the sweet stew all over the city. So it's not surprising we have a few false starts getting our gang to the right location. Finally we pile out at a multi-story restaurant with startling orange walls and fluoro lighting.

Gudeg Sagan (Jl Prof. Dr. Herman Yohanes, No 53) started out as an electronics shop run by a husband and wife team - selling TVs and radios by day and Gudeg from a tiny stall out front by night. These days electronics are long gone and the tiny shop has been replaced by a bustling eatery. We huddle around the the window where the dishes are all on display, the ubiquitous cover band filling our ears. Dave, our host and longtime Jogya resident takes us through what's on offer.

Gudeg is made from young jack fruit that is boiled for several hours with palm sugar and coconut milk. A range of spices are added including garlic, shallots, candlenut, coriander, galangal and teak leaves.  The teak leaves which give the Nangka its distinctive red colour in the Jogja version of this dish, is also sweeter and drier than the kind found in Solo. It's served with a range of toppings - chicken, hard-boiled egg, tofu and tempeh as well as a stew made of crisp beef skins called sambal goreng krecek.

I give a mental thank you that Dave is with us to explain so I can select the option without meat--I'm pretty sure my Indonesian isn't quite up to translating the various aspects of an animal carcass. Since arriving in Joygja I've relaxed my vegetarian diet to include a little fish now and then. This means that I can sample a wider range of food, as many vegetable dishes have shrimp paste or anchovies in them. But crispy cow skin (and snakes, bats and chicken heads for that matter!) are definitely off the menu.

We order and I go for tempe and egg toppings. Gudeg Sagan offers one of the less sweet versions but it's still pretty sweet by Australian tastes. Still, the coconut broth is tasty and the tempe and egg soak up the flavours. I wash it down with an es jeruk (orange juice water and sugar with ice) and an es teh (no sugar this time!). The restaurant seats are open air, the place is clean and the feeling is spacious - I scan the room and spot a couple of other foreigners enjoying their meal.

All in all, the texture and taste of the jackfruit is interesting and with my newly discovered fire-eating skills I'm keen to try the spicier version when we travel to East Java.

We jump on the scooters - the lack of helmets between us only generating a moments consideration - and head off for some gelato before Hal and I take a taxi home to Tembi. I can't say I would travel to north of the city for this dish given the huge number of eateries and different styles of food on offer elsewhere but I'd definitely recommend Gudeg Sagan to visitors for a first time experience of Jogja's signature dish--and I'll certainly pop in next time I'm in the area.

The next day at the fascinating Beringharjo market I finish getting acquainted with nangka by buying a bag of the ripe fruit from this lady (see picture)--it tastes like a cross between pineapple, lemon and something else I can't quite place.

Now at least I know what those big green fruit are which I've seen hanging in all the locals front gardens. Given the size and number I guess I'm pretty thankful they aren't Durian!