Get snail croquette, if you like that!

Do you know the slowest but smart animal in Balinese story? Perhaps you do. It is the snail. In Balinese folklore, the snail can conquer a deer. Really? It is said this slow and small animal is challenged by a deer to compete in a run race. Realizing it is slow, the snail sets a trick with another snail friend to stand at finish line. They will pass through different tracks but cover the same distance: deer overland while snail in the water. In short, the snail comes to be the winner as before the deer reaches the finish line, another snail has appeared there first. So, what is the connection of snail and food here? Though it is cheap and easy to find, this snail could also be made into a delicious dish, like croquette. But do not forget to add lime juice to remove the putrid muddy smell.

Ingredients: 100g clean snail flesh (boiled); 100g rice flour; 25g starch flour; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 cup of coconut milk.
Ground spices: 3 candlenuts, 1 tsp coriander, 2 cm kencur, 1 cm turmeric, 2 tsp salt or to taste.

Method:

1. Soak the snail flesh in the solution of salt and lime juice for some 15 minutes. Then rinse well with warm water until thoroughly clean. Stir the flesh again and again for a while in the pan (without oil) to make it slightly drier.
2. Make a batter from rice flour, starch flour and coconut milk. Make it rather thick so that the batter coats the snail easily. Afterwards, add ground spices, snail flesh and mix together well.
3. Preheat the pan with cooking oil. Take a spoonful of the batter and fry. Turn from one side to the other until it browns evenly. Take out and continue in the same way until all batter is fried.
   (BTN/pun)

Chewy young palm fruit: Do you dare?

Lontar, ental or palm is no stranger to Balinese people. The tradition of inscribing has taken advantage of this leaf for centuries, before the introduction of paper and typewriters. Additionally, the Balinese also use its leaf for making many kinds of durable oblation, hat, table ornament and so forth. If you happen to drop in at Bona Village, Gianyar you would encounter a variety of fine-looking crafts made from this palm-leaf.
Other than its versatile and durable leaf, this palm in fact also offers a fairly pleasant fruit. However, it should be picked when it is really young; if it is picked later you would be unable to bite into it at all. Its fruit consists of three compartments, each of which has translucent flesh. Unlike other fruits in general, do not expect sweet taste from this fruit. And, do not be disappointed if after you have peeled and tasted it, it tastes like nothing or plain. However, this rubbery flesh is indeed good used as filler for various kinds of refreshing drinks. If you need a challenging drink, try this!
(BTN/pun)