i'm down with M-S-G

Shopping for food in Timor is kind of a fun experience.  If you have the right attitude.  I have certainly learned to appreciate what it means to eat seasonally and locally, that's for sure.  

As part of the expat community I will admit that my heart beats a bit faster when I go to the refrigerated section, across from the hot pink meat to the drippy, poorly lit cooler and I see a crushed wedge of Indonesian stilton or a tub of nearly expired Saudi yogurt.  

Among the expat community it has become a common joke to phone tree your inner circle of friends upon hearing the news of the arrival of these malai (foreigner) delicacies.  The first few months I was here there was no yogurt and then 2 weeks ago out of nowhere 2 of the 3 stores had a surplus of this lactose goodness. People took off work early to buy cases. 

Though there are some things you can't get enough of and are always out of stock, I have taken photos of things that are always in stock- whether I want them or not.

1.  Kaya jam.  You want kaya jam.  This is actually the only thing out of the list that is worth purchasing so listen up.  Kaya (coconut) jam is one of the best things about Timor even though it likely originated from Indonesia or Malaysia.  It is a golden brown egg jam made from coconut, curd, pandan leaf and caramelizing the sugar until it becomes a beautiful golden color. Schmearing kaya jam on hot buttered toast with a cup of coffee is a perfect Saturday morning treat.    

2.  Kewpie Mayonnaise.  I don't eat mayonnaise.  Especially Kewpie mayonnaise out of a bag.  

3.  Canned meat. Brand name Narcissus- of the rib(?) variety.  No explanation needed.

4.  Essence of Chicken.  A couple of things about this product alarm me.  For one, I have no idea what this is for- usually the name of the product is telling.  It wasn't next to the chicken stock- it was in the baby formula aisle.  

Any idea what they were going for in the illustration?

Several of the words on the back also caught my attention: 

• "extract of fine chicken"

• "hygienically processed under high temperature"

• "take it daily, anytime, anywhere"
 

5.  Fiesta 1-2-3 Float. In the dessert aisle, canned fruit with (free!) graham(s) crackers is a popular treat.   

6.  100-year old eggs.  These lovely black gelatinous treats are a specialty item just in from mainland China.  They are made by preserving eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing.  Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green to grey color, with a creamy consistency and an odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, translucent jelly with little flavor.  Mmmmmmm.

7.  Dried fish skeletons with skin.  Also in the refrigerated section.

8. MSG.  The pièce de résistance.  Monosodium glutimate (MSG) is available in 1 kg bags for everyone's enjoyment.