The Origin of Taliwang Chicken, Lombok’s Specialty Food

Historical Origins of taliwang

Hello, loyal readers of Parman Trekker, we have discussed the beauty of the island of Lombok, and now we will discuss the food. Taliwang Grilled Chicken. Wow, just hearing it can make us feel hungry friends. This is no ordinary grilled chicken, this is a special grilled chicken. As an Indonesian, we’re sure you’ve heard of Taliwang Grilled Chicken quite often.

Who here loves ayam bakar taliwang? Or maybe you’ve heard of Taliwang Grilled Chicken, but never had it. You have to try this, the most delicious, authentic specialty food from Nusa Tenggara. The most beautiful island with the best cuisine in Indonesia. Taliwang Grilled Chicken has a spicy flavor and a sweet flavor. If you eat it, you will feel it on your tongue, the spices that make the flavor and aroma unique. Not to mention the sambal ‘beberuk’. A tomato sambal that has raw chilies in it, mixed with shrimp paste, and aubergine. This sambal is mixed with coconut milk. How delicious this is. The sweet and savory sensation that permeates the chicken adds to the taste that spoils the tongue. We will discuss the recipe for roasted taliwang chicken in the next article.

In Lombok, there are many stalls that sell ayam bakar taliwang. If you visit Lombok and don’t find a stall selling this grilled chicken, it’s impossible. Now imagine eating grilled chicken while enjoying the beautiful view of the beach. It’s unimaginable how delicious it is, isn’t it?

Sumbawa Community on Lombok Island

Before we discuss the food recipe, we want to discuss the history of taliwang grilled chicken first. Taliwang is a village inhabited by the Sumbawa community. The village was called karang taliwang. The village itself uses the Sumbawa regional language in daily communication.  If we look at the bigger picture of the islands in West Nusa Tenggara, the province has two big islands and hundreds of smaller ones. The two big islands are Lombok Island and Sumbawa Island. Meanwhile, the small islands are better known as Gili. Some popular Gili names are Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air.

Taliwang chicken is a specialty of Lombok. The name of this food is taliwang, which is the village of the Sumbawa community living in Lombok.

Lombok Island has a society that has unique customs. The original tribe of the people of Lombok Island is the Sasak tribe. Meanwhile, on the island of Lombok itself, there are many villages inhabited by the Sumbawa community. Not just karang taliwang. There are several Sumbawa community villages in Lombok, including Kembang Kerang, Dasan Baru, Kuang Berora, and Kampung Jantuk. The area is in Lombok, but the people who live there are from the Sumbawa community.

Selaparang Kingdom of Sumbawa Island

Why did the Taliwang, Sumbawa community end up on Lombok Island? There are several events involving the people of Sumbawa Island and Lombok Island. In ancient times, there was a kingdom that led the community in West Nusa Tenggara. The name of the kingdom was the Selaparang Kingdom. This kingdom also had influence and had the power to rule on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa. Previously the centre of government was on Lombok Island, but the Dutch company VOC moved it to Sumbawa Island which was considered more strategic than Lombok Island.

Why the VOC could rule in Nusa Tenggara at that time? It had to do with the Gowa Kingdom in Makassar, Sulawesi Island. This kingdom was very influential. Its power also reached and spread to West Nusa Tenggara. At this time the Kingdom of Gowa lost the war against the VOC so the influence of the kingdom’s power was released to the VOC. The process of moving the center of government of the Selaparang Kingdom had something to do with the VOC.

The Selaparang Kingdom, which was located on Sumbawa Island, conflicted with the Karang Asem Kingdom, Bali. A war broke out in 1723 between the Selaparang Kingdom and the Karang Asem Kingdom of Bali. The war resulted in the death of the leader of the Selaparang kingdom. Many of his remaining troops settled on the island of Lombok. Until these troops settled on the island of Lombok. Finally, we can understand that there was a migration of royal troops who were residents of Sumbawa Island to Lombok Island at that time.

Population migration due to disasters

There was a major event that occurred in 1815, the eruption of Mount Tambora on Sumbawa Island. This event brought suffering to the people of Sumbawa Island. Many died and most fled to the island of Lombok. The eruption of the volcano was one of the causes of the migration of the population of Sumbawa Island to Lombok Island.

Is there a volcano on the island of Lombok? On the island of Sumbawa, there is Mount Tambora, on the island of Lombok there is the highest mountain in Indonesia. Mount Rinjani, is a mountain that has become a tourist attraction and destination for climbers in Indonesia. Mount Rinjani displays an amazingly beautiful natural charm. You need to know that Mount Rinjani is the highest mountain peak in Indonesia, after Jaya Wijaya Peak in Papua Province and Kerinci Peak in Jambi Province.

Read here: Climbing Mount Rinjani, Lombok

The most delicious food, Taliwang Chicken

Taliwang Grilled Chicken is the most favored food by Indonesian culinary lovers. After reading this article, you finally know the origin of the culinary dish, Ayam Bakar Taliwang. There are many restaurants in Indonesia, which provide a special menu of Taliwang Grilled Chicken. In the capital city of Jakarta alone, there are several Taliwang Grilled Chicken Restaurants and Houses, such as Taliwang Brothers Restaurant, Ayam Taliwang Lima Rasa, and many more. On the island of Sumatra such as in Aceh, Medan to Lampung some restaurants provide a special menu, Ayam Bakar Taliwang. But if you visit Lombok Island, it’s not right if you don’t try this food directly from its place of origin.

In addition to its distinctive food flavors, of course, the beauty of this tour is second to none. There are several reasons why you should go to Lombok. the first is Lombok is a very romantic area, perfect for a vacation with a partner. then the second, a very memorable place for a family vacation with the beauty of the city and its historical heritage. then the third, the main destination for mountain climbers and sea lovers. And the last is a place for lovers of the most delicious archipelago cuisine in the world. On this island, you can feel the sensation of the pleasure of Taliwang Grilled Chicken along with the beauty of the island.

Read also: The Most Beautiful Beaches version of South Korean magazine

Closing

Thus the review of the history of Taliwang chicken, the most delicious cuisine in Indonesia. Later we will discuss recipes and how to process Taliwang Grilled Chicken dishes. Surely you can’t wait anymore, right? In the next article, we will discuss about Taliwang grilled chicken recipe, you can practice cooking the menu at home. look forward to us, Parman Trekker readers, your best friend for traveling to Lombok Island.

 

Reference:

History of Sumbawa Community in Lombok Island. Burhanudin M.Hum