Jepara Wood Carving

Jepara, is one of the districts in the province of Central Java. Its capital is Jepara. District borders directly with the Java Sea in the west and north, County Pati and Kudus District in the east, and south of Demak regency. Jepara Regency Karimun Jawa is also included, which is located in the Java Sea.

Jepara known as the carving city, because there are craft center known for wood carving up the country. Furniture and sculpture are scattered evenly in almost all districts with their respective expertise. But the trade centers in the region glued Ngabul, Senenan, Annual, Pekeng, Kalongan and Youth. In addition, Jepara is the hometown Indonesian hero RA Kartini.

Furniture and Handicraft Industry is an industry become a mainstay of Jepara regency. The industry has become the economic backbone of Jepara residents. otherwise, the current interest is cultural tourism and the tourism industry. and carved furniture industry based jepara HOME INDUSTRY and are craft can also be developed into tourism industry as well as handicraft products shopping jepara.

LEGEND

Told that there is an expert on sculpture and painting named Prabangkara who lived during King Brawijaya of Majapahit Kingdom. At a time when the king commissioned to create paintings Prabangkara king consort as an expression of his love for the Empress is very beautiful and fascinating.
Painting naked empress could be resolved by Prabangkara perfectly and of course this makes King Brawijaya became suspicious because of the particular body part is confidential, the natural signs / special there are also the paintings and the place / position and shape exactly. By a ruse, Prabangkara with all equipment removed by way tied to a kite up in the sky after the rope is disconnected.
In this floating Prabangkara chisel fell in a village known as the Rear Mountain near the town of Jepara.
In a small village north of Jepara town until now there are many craftsmen carve high quality. But the origins of the carvings here if it was true because Prabangkara fall chisel, there is no historical data to support it.

RAWON

Rawon is one of the traditional meal of meat soup with special herbs for using materials known as kluwek. Rawon, mostly known as a typical dish from East Java, but also by people known to Central Java to the east (Surakarta).

Meat used as ingredients are generally Rawon cut beef into small pieces. Seasoning soup has a distinctive sense of Indonesia, which is produced from a mixture of onion, garlic, galangal (laos), coriander, lemon grass, turmeric, chilli, kluwek, salt, and vegetable oil. All of these ingredients (except lemon grass and galangal) mashed, then saute until fragrant. Spices that have been pan-fried and then put in the stew broth with meat. Typical dark color Rawon resulting from kluwek .

Rawon usually served with a plate of rice, equipped with a small bean sprouts, spring onion, crackers, and salsa( sambal).

The following materials and how to make it

Material:

* 300 grams of beef, slightly greasy
* 100 grams short bean sprouts, washed
* 2 bay leaves
* 4 pieces of orange leaves
* 1 stalk lemongrass, crushed
* 2 cm galangal / laos, crushed
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 6 cups water

Spices are blended:

* 4 red onions
* 2 cloves garlic
* 4 cloves pecan
* 3 fruit kluwek, taken it
* 2 pieces red chili

How to Make:

1. Cut the beef into small boxes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and fry the blended ingredients until fragrant with lemon grass, galangal, bay leaves and orange leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Then, in the pot that was filled with 6 cups of water, put pieces of beef and spices mashed, boiled until the meat is cooked through and tender. When the water dries, add more to taste.
4. Serve with bean sprouts sprinkled on top and short-leaf decorated with orange.

This dish is enough for 3-4 people

Enjoy

KOPIAH (Songkok)

Kopiah is one of the traditional hat for the Malays. In Indonesia, the cap is also known as songkok has become part of the Indonesian national dress, and used not only by Muslims.

Kopiah is a part of popular fashion for the Malays in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and southern Thailand. This hat fez said to derive from that used in Ottoman Turkey. In piece of literature Malays, songkok (kopiah) in the poem has been called Siti Zubaidah (1840) "... in white clad use red songkok....".

Most Muslims in Indonesia considered that the cap be part of formal dress when attending official ceremonies such as marriage ceremonies, prayers, religious ceremonies and as for Eid ul-Fitri and Eid ul-Adha. Furthermore skullcap is also used to complement the clothes used to attend certain meetings.

One center cap craftsmen in this country is Gresik. However, as the times, home handicraft industry began to waver cap. One possible cause is lifestyle changes.
In the district of Gresik, which is also known as the city of muslim student (santri) all the district have of an industrial area kopiah. Began Kauman, Bedilan, Karangpoh, Trate, Kroman, Kemuteran, all have a kopiah industries which then widened to Bungah area.

Unfortunately these days centers kopiah industry can not survive. One by one the industry a kopiah in Gresik out of business due to the changing times. The percentage indicates the remaining kopiah indstry only 10 percent.

Another factor that causes go broke kopiah industry is shifting public tastes of a black skull cap skull cap type (normal cap industrial production in Gresik) to a white skullcap pilgrimage.

In terms of markets, market cap is only limited types of skull cap in the country, and even then only on the island of Java. whereas white skullcap current can penetrate foreign markets.

In terms of price, a black skull cap skullcap species produced in hargaa Bungah have on average more expensive around 25 thousand rupiah while the hajj cap various motifs and colors can be obtained only with 6000 rupiah.

For that, I'm the son of Gresik area, wanted to popularize the cap back once the mainstay of Gresik regency.

Thanks

Kecak dance

Kecak or often called "The Monkey Dance" by foreign tourists is the traditional dance which is a relatively new form of drama but it has become a very popular show and a must watch show for both domestic and foreign tourists who were touring the country to the island of Bali.

The origin of Kecak name itself comes from a name that directly taken after the sound "cak, cak" in spoken continuously for dance performances. Some people explain that the word or sound "cak" actually means a very important and significant in the dance itself.

Kecak is played mainly by men with a number of players who can reach tens or more dancers who sit in line and a circle with a certain rhythm while calling the sound "cak" and raised his hands.

Kecak dance created in the 1930s by Wayan Limbak and with a German painter, Walter Spies.
This dance takes the story of Ramayana as a substitute Trance Dance, so it can finally dance in public dispaly as performance art. Part of the Ramayana story was first taken when Dewi Sinta where abducted by King Ravana.

As a dance, dance kecak supported by some very important factors. In presenting the dance as an introduction to the story, of course the music has a vital task to accompany the dancers sway . In Kecak music sounds generated from a combination cak members of about 50 to 70 people it will make music akapela, a leader will act as the initial tone memberika longer act as a stressor in charge of high pressure or low tones act as a solo singer, and another will act as the mastermind who brought storyline. Kecak dance dancer in the movement should not follow the standard are standard dance accompanied by gamelan. So in this kecak dance dancer's body movements more relaxed because the main priority is the story and voice synthesis.

Visit Indonesia : Afulu, Nias Island, North Sumatra

Nias Island is the largest island group in the side of Sumatra island that is part of North Sumatra province. Nias Island lies in latitude 10 30 'north and longitude 970 98' east with total area of 5625 km2, mostly low-lying areas ± 800 m above sea level.

Nias Island consists of 131 islands with a population of about 639,675 people (including Malay, Batak, and Chinese).

Nias has a very unique culture and a far different nature from other regions in North Sumatra. This is because the location of a separate and isolated from the rest of Sumatra.

For visiting this place, tourists can use the weekly ship from Jakarta (the capital city of Indonesia) Gunung Sitoli;
There are Ferries from Sibolga to Gunung Sitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; Before the crisis hit Indonesia, there are daily flights from Medan to Gunung Sitoli , but now the airline has become rare.


Gunung Sitoli is the capital of Nias district which is the administrative center and business district. Currently there are several travel agents, hotels, public buses and rental cars to support tourism in the district nias. There are also several government and private banks that have been built.

one tourist destination in Nias district was Afulu. Afulu is a district in North Nias Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Afulu area famous for its white sand beaches and the beauty of white sandy beaches and is very suitable for surfing because it has great waves. This is very interesting place to visit.

Traditional snack East Borneo : PUTU MAYANG

Kue Putu Mayang is one of Indonesia's traditional cake. We have cakes, including cakes Putu Mayang rare. Kue Putu Mayang is usually very readily available in traditional markets now rarely found. This is not because Kue Putu Mayang's rarely bought. Why? Is it because today's modern times so the cookies must also be versatile modern fast food meal? How do you think we should preserve traditional Indonesian cake? Are traditional cakes with Indonesia less competitive modern cakes?
I think cake tradisinal Indonesia no less competitive with modern cakes, it's just that we lack menhargai heritage of our ancestors. for that, I'll attach a way to make a cake Putu Mayang. thanks.

Material:
300 g rice flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
100 gr starch
550 ml coconut milk from coconuts 1
red food coloring and green enough
banana leaf for base

Sauce:
200 gr palm sugar, finely combed
25 gr sugar
500 ml coconut milk from coconuts 1
Pandan leaves 1
1 / 4 teaspoon salt

how to make:

1. Mix the rice flour with water and then wrapped with a muslin flour. Heat the pan pengukus, flour steamed for 10 minutes until cooked through and lift.
2. Pour boiling water into the flour gradually, stirring until smooth and lumps.
3. For the dough into three parts, add one part of the dough with green dye. One part again with red dye and the rest leave without coloring.
4. Spoon the batter in the mold putu Mayang (petulo), press until the dough out enough, lift the dough which has been printed. Cover each cake with banana leaves.
5. Heat the pan pengukus, steamed dough until cooked about 15 minutes and lift.

For the sauce:

• All the cooking sauce ingredients to boiling. Remove the filter.

Enjoy.

Indonesia profile

Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world. Indonesia lies between 6 degrees north latitude and 11 degrees south latitude, and from 97 degrees to 141 degrees east longitude and located between two continents, Asia and Australia / Oceania. This strategic position has a significant influence on the cultural, social, political, and economic.

Indonesian territory extends along 3.977 mile between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean consisting of 17,508 islands, of which there are 5 major islands. When the waters between the islands combined, the area of Indonesia menjadi1.9 million square miles,

Five major islands in Indonesia is the island of Sumatra which has an area of 473,606 square kilometers, the island of Java with an area of 132,107 square kilometers, the island of Borneo (the third largest island in the world) with an area of 539.460 square km, Sulawesi island with an area of 189,216 square kilometers, and New Guinea with an area of 421.981 square km.

Indonesia is divided into 33 provinces (including Special Region 2 (DI) and a Special Capital Region (DKI). Province is Aceh and Yogyakarta Special Region and the capital is Jakarta Special Capital Region. Name of other provinces such as Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Riau, Kepulauan Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra. Lampung, Bangka Belitung Islands on the island of Sumatra. Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java in Java. Kalimantan Barat , Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan on Borneo island. Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara. West Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Gorontalo on Sulawesi island. Maluku, North Maluku, West Papua , and Papua on the island of Papua.

Indonesian population roughly divided into two tribes kelompokyaitu Malays residing in the western part of Indonesia and Papua tribes residing in the eastern part of Indonesia, which has its roots in the islands of Melanesia. Of the two tribes, the Indonesian population is divided again into groups of more specific interest, which is divided by language and region of origin, such as Javanese, Sundanese, or Batak.

There was also a number of new settlers are ethnic minority Indonesians, Indians, and Arabs. They have long come to the archipelago with trade routes since the 8th century BC and settled into a part of the archipelago.

Religion embraced by the majority of which approximately 85.2% of the population of Indonesia is Islam, making Indonesia the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. While other residents of Indonesia who embraced Protestantism (8.9%); Catholic (3%); Hindu (1.8%); Buddhist (0.8%); and others (0.3%).

Most Indonesian people speak by using local languages as a native language, but language which is used as the official national language is Indonesian.