Local Dishes

1. Batar da'an

   Batar da'an (traditional boiled corn)

   Usage

   The most basic traditional dish, made by boiling corn — the country's staple. It is also described as corn combined with mung beans and pumpkin

   Grammar Note

   "da'an" (to cook by boiling). The glottal apostrophe is also dropped, giving "batar daan"; both spellings are used.

2. Ikan saboko

   Ikan saboko (fish baked in palm leaves)

   Usage

   A whole fish flavoured with tamarind leaves, salt, pepper, onion, basil and chilli, wrapped in akadiru (lontar palm) leaves and baked for 15–20 minutes. Atabae in Bobonaro is known for it. Note the spelling "saboko"; it is not "sabuko"

   Grammar Note

   "saboko" is also a transitive verb, "bake in palm-leaves". The material goes first, so the pattern extends: "ai-farina saboko" is cassava flour baked the same way.

3. Katupa

   Katupa (rice steamed in a woven palm pouch)

   Usage

   Rice packed into a small pouch woven from young palm leaves and boiled. Sold at stalls and markets at room temperature and eaten with one hand. Some are made with red rice (foos mean)

   Grammar Note

   It is spelled "katupa"; the Indonesian form "ketupat" is not used as the Tetun word.

4. Tukir

   Tukir (cooked inside a length of bamboo)

   Usage

   Both the technique of packing food into a bamboo tube and cooking it on the fire, and the dish that results. It means "cook in a length of bamboo on the fire". Traditional foods include "etu-tukir iha au" (rice in bamboo) and "tukir na'an bibi" (goat cooked in bamboo)

   Grammar Note

   "tukir" is a transitive verb. As a dish name the material can follow ("tukir na'an bibi", goat cooked in bamboo) or precede it ("etu tukir", rice in bamboo). The bamboo itself is "au".

5. Budu

   Budu (fresh vegetable and chilli pickle)

   Usage

   A side dish of raw vegetables, chilli, onion and salt dressed with lime juice or vinegar. It is both a noun (pickle, salad) and a verb (to pickle). Note that it contains chilli — ask before ordering if you cannot take heat

   Grammar Note

   Because it is also a verb you can say "budu tomate" (to pickle tomato). "Tomate budu" (tomato pickle) is also found, in that order. Both occur.

6. Budu tasi

   Budu tasi (pickled seaweed)

   Usage

   Edible seaweed dressed the same way as budu. Fisher groups in Dili, Atauro, Liquiçá and Bobonaro produce it, and the agriculture ministry has funded storage sheds for it. Served at coastal eateries

   Grammar Note

   Modifiers follow the noun in Tetun, so "budu" (pickle) + "tasi" (sea) = the sea pickle, i.e. seaweed. It is also often hyphenated as "budu-tasi".

7. Tomate budu

   Tomate budu (half-ripe tomato pickle)

   Usage

   Half-ripe tomato served raw, mixed with onion, chilli and salt. It comes as a side with grilled fish or bamboo-cooked dishes. "budu tomate ho pipiñu" (tomato and cucumber budu) also exists

8. Marotok

   Marotok (mixed vegetable and leaf stew)

   Usage

   Traditional vegetables and leaves all boiled together in one pot. It is described as food characteristic of Timor. It normally contains no meat, so it suits vegetarian travellers

9. Modo raba-raba

   Modo raba-raba (traditional mixed stir-fried greens)

   Usage

   A traditional stir-fry combining water spinach (kanko), Chinese spinach, papaya flowers and leaves, and banana flowers. The papaya flowers give it a slight bitterness

   Grammar Note

   "modo" covers not just vegetables but any cooked dish eaten with rice. At an eatery you can ask "modo saida mak iha?" — what dishes are there?

10. Sedok

    Sedok (rice, corn grit or sago cooked with beans and vegetables)

    Usage

    Rice, corn grit or sago cooked with beans and papaya fruit or flowers. It can be dry or have the consistency of porridge. The sago version is called "akar sedok", a characteristically Timorese cuisine. There is also "sedok batar-uut", made with cornflour

    Grammar Note

    "sedok" is both a noun and a verb ("cook sedok"). The ingredient may follow ("sedok batar-uut") or precede ("akar sedok").

11. Sasoro

    Sasoro (rice porridge)

    Usage

    Rice boiled with plenty of water. Eaten for breakfast or when unwell. Dried chilli (ai manas) is commonly added to sasoro; to ask for it without, use "La iha ai manas"

12. Etu sona

    Etu sona (simple fried rice)

    Usage

    Leftover rice fried in oil. It is usually eaten for breakfast. "Etu fuga" is a synonym

    Grammar Note

    "sona" means to fry in oil ("sona ho mina"). The same pattern gives "batar sona" (fried corn snack) and "kulu sona" (fried breadfruit).

13. Kaldeirada

    Kaldeirada (stew of meat on the bone with potato)

    Usage

    Meat on the bone — often goat or lamb — stewed with potato. A Portuguese-derived dish, common at celebrations. A variant is "kalderada"

    Grammar Note

    Borrowed from Portuguese "caldeirada", but the Tetun spelling uses k, not c: "kaldeirada". The Portuguese spelling is not used as the Tetun word.

14. Kaldu

    Kaldu (rice broth with chicken)

    Usage

    Rice boiled until soft with meat, usually chicken — the equivalent of Portuguese canja. Often made for the sick and for children

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "caldo"; the Tetun form is "kaldu". Plain stock has its own words: "modo been" (vegetable broth) and "naan been" (meat stock).

15. Kuzidu

    Kuzidu (fish and vegetables with dressing)

    Usage

    Fish and vegetables served with a dressing or sauce

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "cozido" (boiled, stew). The Tetun spelling is "kuzidu" — neither the Portuguese c nor its spelling is carried over.

16. Gizadu

    Gizadu (Portuguese-style beef stew)

    Usage

    A Portuguese-style beef stew or casserole, seen in Dili's Portuguese restaurants

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "guisado". Tetun writes gi- rather than gu- and z rather than s: "gizadu".

17. Bifi

    Bifi (beef with potato chips)

    Usage

    Beef served with tomato and potato chips

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "bife"; the Tetun form is "bifi". Respelling final -e as -i is a regular pattern in Tetun's Portuguese loans (conta → konta, café → kafé).

18. Arós fugadu

    Arós fugadu (rice cooked with tomato)

    Usage

    Rice cooked with tomato. It is served at large gatherings — weddings, funerals and church events

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "arroz refogado", but the Tetun spelling is "arós fugadu" — neither the z nor the initial re- is kept. Everyday cooked rice is the native word "etu"; "arós" appears in this dish name.

19. Karíl

    Karíl (curry)

    Usage

    Curry — typically chicken simmered in coconut milk and spices. It reached Timor as Portuguese "caril", of Indian origin, and is usually mild

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "caril". Tetun writes k rather than c and marks the stress with an acute accent: "karíl". The Portuguese spelling is not used.

20. Sate

    Sate (grilled meat skewers)

    Usage

    Meat grilled on a skewer and eaten with sauce. Both "sate" and "sasate" are used; the skewer itself is "kesak sate". Grilled over charcoal at evening stalls

21. Babilak

    Babilak (sago pancake)

    Usage

    A pancake made from sago palm (akar) flour, also eaten as a staple when rice is scarce. A synonym is "kadaka", which doubles as a verb meaning to cook sago pancakes

    Grammar Note

    The sago palm itself is "akar". The trunk is eaten after lengthy processing.

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