Once the rice cooked (generally steamed), the wife prepared a little offerings (ngejot) to the spirits resides in the house. It’s made out of banana leaves and portioned with a little bit of grain of rice, a flower, some salt and a dash of chili.
Nobody could eat before the portions were distributed in front of each of residential units (placed on the ground). The woman who distributed the offerings was constantly followed by hungry dogs that ate the grains of rice as soon as the offerings placed.
No one cared; however, this was intended for evil spirits which may be embodied in the dogs.There was no time fixed to eat and they ate whenever they felt like it. Shortly before noon, the men returned from work after taking a bath in the river and sat casually by the kitchen, often turning his back on each other and not to engage in a conversation while eating.
Each will take some portion of rice and sauce in square of banana leaves held by the left hand and the right hand acted as spoon and fork. The use of utensils and dishes to the Balinese are considered unhygienic and repulsive foreign habit. Balinese use square banana leaf as dishes. When finished, the leaf dishes were thrown out to the pigs and no dishes left to be washed. |
