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greatest possible extent. Round the waist, either next the skin or over the ija pinggang they wear a chain formed of several layers (talòë kiʾiëng) fastened in front with a handsome clasp (peundéng)[1]; and on their fingers a number of rings (eunchiën or nchiën).
Food.In the remaining material necessaries of life also, the chief distinction between the Tunòng and the Barōh lies in the fact that the highlanders are more frugal and simple in their requirements. We need not here go into exact details. The staple form of food, eaten twice a day at 8–9 a.m. and at 5–6 p.m., is rice (bu) well cooked in water. With the rice is taken gulè (the sayur of the Malays), of which there are three kinds in common use; 1°. gulè masam keuʾeuëng (half-sour, half-pungent gulè) consisting of leaves or fruits[2] boiled in water mixed with onions, pepper, chilis (champli), salt, broken rice and as sour constituents bòh slimèng (blimbing) or sunti; 2°. gulè leumaʾ (rich gulè, from the cocoanut milk used in preparing it). With this is mixed a larger quantity of fragrant herbs, (such as halia or ginger and sreuë); its basis is either dried fish[3] (eungkōt thō) or karéng (small fish of the kinds biléh or awō, also dried), or the stockfish imported from the Maldives (keumamaïh) or sliced plantains or brinjals. The sour elements are the same as in 1°, above. Teumeuruy leaves are also frequently mixed with it, and cocoanut milk (santan) is an indispensable ingredient. 3°. Gulè pi u (gulè of decayed cocoanut). In this the sour elements and herbs are the same as in the other kinds, but an important additional ingredient is rotten cocoanut, from which the oil has been expressed; also some unripe nangka or jackfruit (bòh panaïh), unripe plantain, dry fish and karéng.
Besides rice and vegetables a principal article of food with the Achehnese is the stockfish (keumamaïh) imported in large quantities from the Maldives. This is prepared in two different ways; 1°. Keumamaïh cheunichah;[4] the keumamaïh is cut up into small pieces and
- ↑ Compare the notes on the bridal toilet in our description of marriage (Chapter III).
- ↑ The leaves or fruits most commonly used are ōn mudliëng, bòh muliéng, ōn murōng and black or red bòh truëng.
- ↑ This includes dried fish of the large varieties, not the stockfish (keumamaïh) of the Maldives or the karéng.
- ↑ The verb chichah has reference to the pounding up of fruits etc. and the mixing up of the whole in the compost called rujaq, which is also known to the Achehnese by the name cheunichah or chinichah.
