Savouring Lombok: A Foodie's Journey Through Sasak Rice Culture

TheIndonesia.co - For true food lovers, traveling isn’t just about the places—it’s about what’s on the plate. In Lombok, an island known for its stunning landscapes and warm hospitality, food reveals stories of heritage, survival, and tradition—especially when it starts with something as humble and essential as rice.

Rice: The Heart of Sasak Cuisine

In the lives of the Sasak people, who call Lombok home, rice is more than a staple—it’s the soul of their cuisine. Whether in savory dishes or traditional snacks, rice forms the foundation of countless local recipes passed down through generations.

According to Antara News Agency, known as Bumi Gogo Rancah or “the land of dryland rice,” the island has long relied on rain-fed agriculture. Despite the challenges, Lombok’s farmers harvested over 785,000 tons of dried unhusked rice in 2024, contributing more than half of West Nusa Tenggara’s total rice production.

From rice fields to clay stoves, rice becomes everything—from nasi balap to serabi—each bite flavored by nature, time, and tradition.

A Plate of Serabi, A Slice of History

During the Indonesia Gastrodiplomacy Series held from May 8th–11th, 2025, international delegates from 27 countries gathered in Lombok to taste the island’s culinary identity. At the State Museum of West Nusa Tenggara, they found themselves drawn to the earthy aroma wafting from a wood-fired stove.

There, Atukk Ayu, a 61-year-old local cook, tended to her clay griddle, lifting the lid to reveal serabi, a classic Sasak rice cake. The crackling of coconut milk, the warmth of palm sugar, and the soft texture of rice flour brought smiles to curious foreign guests.

“Please try it with grated coconut and palm sugar syrup,” she said warmly, offering a plate that was more than food—it was a story.

Made from rice flour, coconut milk, and shaved coconut, sweetened with palm sugar from the aren tree, serabi reflects the ingredients Lombok grows best. These ingredients are not random—they thrive in volcanic soil created by Mount Samalas’ eruption in 1257, which shaped the island’s fertility.

From Field to Flame: The Culture Behind the Ingredients

Lombok's self-sufficiency in rice is no coincidence. Since the 1980s, the region has maintained its status as a national rice granary thanks to programs like Operation Tekad Makmur (OTM) that focus on intensifying dryland rice farming.

Here, farming isn’t just physical—it’s also spiritual. According to the book Tradisi Berladang Masyarakat Sasak-Lombok, rituals often accompany planting, guided by elders and sacred symbols: betel leaves, pinang fruit, and water-filled earthenware. These ceremonies are steeped in sacred and communal values—a practice still honored in remote, hilly villages.

Even the tools—like curved machetes or bamboo seed holders—carry stories of resilience and adaptation.

While rice anchors the plate, coconut and aren palm round out the flavors of Sasak cuisine. In 2024 alone, Lombok produced 50,000 tons of coconut and 386 tons of palm sugar, supporting thousands of smallholder farmers. These ingredients feed not only families, but also cultural identity.

Taste as Diplomacy

Through gastrodiplomacy, Indonesia is serving more than food—it’s offering connection. Flavor becomes language, and warmth is expressed in every serving. Delegates explored cities and villages—from Mataram to Lombok Tengah—tasting not just dishes, but the heart of the people.

“A beautiful experience,” said Thomas Loidl, Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia, reflecting on his four days on the island. “The warmth of the people stays with me even after I return to Jakarta.”

For Indonesia, cuisine is a bridge. It tells the world about local agriculture, cultural wisdom, and the country’s potential in tourism, trade, and diplomacy—all through dishes like serabi, ayam taliwang, sate bulayak, and plecing kangkung.
Food as a Way Forward

From the rich taste of sweet coconut to the earthy warmth of palm sugar, foodies will find more than flavors in Lombok—they’ll find stories rooted in land, labor, and love. And for every plate served, a culture is preserved, a conversation is sparked, and a future is nourished.