About

Horas 

or Welcome, as we say in this part of Indonesia!

I am Luluk. I live in Medan, on the island of Sumatra. One of the largest among the 17,000 islands that form the Indonesian archipelago. Just north of the equator, I am surrounded by volcanoes and lush green rain forest, plantations of oil palm, rubber and cocoa interspersed with rice fields, tea and clove gardens. Truly paradise!

Medan is also home to one of the most exotic cuisines.  The coming and going of traders and colonialists --- the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Indians, the Arabs, the Chinese, the Javanese --- have all left indelible impressions on the food of this area.

In my blog, I want to take you on a culinary journey. You will discover and savour the magical and aromatic spices and herbs ( many of which grow in my own garden ) and the amazing multi ethnic completely fresh flavours of this region. The recipes have been sampled in traditional restaurants and gathered from family and friends. Then I have tried, tested each and every one of them, and adapted a few,  in my kitchen. Substitute ingredients have also been mentioned to ensure that you can still enjoy the dishes, in case particular ingredients can't be found.

My passions are cooking, food presentation, photography, flower arrangement and gardening. I will try and showcase all these in my blog.

This is a work in progress. I will be adding and even tweaking some recipes. I look forward to constructive comments from you.