TEH POCI

At first, i’m not a tea lover, i didn’t know so many variety of tea, people talk about. They often talk about Oolong tea (kind of Chinese tea) and some kind of Japanese tea. Everytime i went to restaurants or cafe, sometimes i order tea, but i really never notice / realize what kind of tea that was i ordered. I just drink it as a complement for my other foods menu. But recently, i don’t know why, i’m starting love it’s taste. I’m interesting on Teh poci and Chinese tea. This time i would write about Teh poci and my be write about Chinese tea later because there is so many things about Chinese tea i really want to find out.

Originally, teh poci comes from Tegal, Central Java, Indonesia. Tea drinking tradition in this place affected by chinese trader that ever lived there. The way of ‘poci’ (means teapot) and the glass made of clay is a chinese tradition in Ming Dinasty.

The existence of tea in Tegal, generally in Indonesia also cannot separated from dutch colonial era. They implemented Cultivation system or culturstelsel for the indigenous people. At that time, Dutch bring tea plantation to Indonesia and sell its high quality product in the Europe market. The indigenous people make tea from the low quality product.

That condition shaping Tegal people’s taste of tea, kind of bitter. But, later Teh poci mixed with jasmine flower to make it more enjoyable. And usually it served with sugar-shaped like a little stone as a sweetener.

Tegal’s people believes that the inside of teapot should never washed, just take out the tea remains. The more crust the more flavor the taste of the tea.

“PABOSURHON”, CEREMONY OF SEVEN MONTH PREGNANCY IN BATAK TRADITION

Batak tradition is one of the living tradition in Indonesia. There’s so many ethnics here, but batak is one of the strongest ethnic that still really stick to its culture and tradition such as Pabosurhon cerenomy and etc.

Pabosurhon means give food to seven month pregnant woman. The ‘hula-hula (parents of woman)’ and The ‘paranak(parents of man)’ do this ceremony to give strength for pregnant woman or the mom’s gonna be, so she can face the labor time with good healthy and no obstacle.

The hula-hula will give ‘ikan mas arsik (bataknese traditional food)’ to his daughter and son-in-law with pray to God for the good health and avoid from any danger. After that, the hula-hula also will give ‘ulos mula gabe (bataknese traditional clothes) as a symbol to cover and protect his daughter’s body and soul from devil. Beside that, ulos mula gabe also will give warmness and spirit to face the labor time.

The paranak will give ‘tudu-tudu ni sipanganon (bataknese traditional food)’ to the hula-hula and asking all the hula-hula to bless and pray for the pregnant woman to face labor time.

The parents and other family member will give advise and some word to encourage pregnant woman, so she will get an extra spirit and power to face labor time.

There’s some similar pabosurhon ceremony from other ethnics in Indonesia such as nyakik / makik / sengkelan ceremony from Dayak ethnic, tujuh bulanan ceremony from javanese ethnic, nujuh bulan ceremony from betawi ethnic.

For me, Pabosurhon ceremony held on 30 th January 2016 in my home sweet home. May God Bless Us all the time.