Culinary Catastrophes

Ah, the culinary catastrophes of the local warung. 

I happened to stop the other day at a nearby collection of food stands offering everything from Lalapan to Bakso to Ikan Bakar and so on. I decided on Ayam Taliwang, a specialty from the island of Lombok. "Very spicy," the woman warned--but hey, what isn't very spicy in Indonesia? So I went for it.

This dish consists of fried chicken, a collection of sprouts and green vegetables, and rice, liberally topped with various forms of sambal, a hot sauce or paste made from a combination of chili peppers and secondary ingredients, 

I did find the dish quite hot, though, as it seemed at the time, not unusually so, and pleasant enough in taste. Moreover, the woman who owns the warung sat with me and chatted while I ate, which is always a welcome accompaniment with dinner. 

I came home afterwards and watched a movie and by-and-by went to bed. 

At about 3 o'clock in the morning I exploded. I won't go into detail about that. Suffice it to say that two days later my stomach still hurts and basically rejects what little I try to put into it. A situation lamentable enough on its own, yet distinctly worsened by a universal aching of the muscles throughout my body, a general weariness, and a sense of fever. A flu-like feeling. 

Could this really all be from a spicy dish? Well, possibly. But it could also be the added effect of some sort of bacteria. These local warungs are not known for their stringent cleanliness or care in food preparation procedures. 

It's called Bali Belly, and has slain countless visitors to the island with its disabling manifestations. Generally, over time, one develops a tolerance for the common sorts of bacteria roaming around in the local food here, but you never know when you're going to get a particularly potent strain. And then, God help you. 

A few years ago, I actually had to go to the hospital for treatment of one of these food born illnesses. All that was required was a single injection. Still and all, one doesn't like to go to the hospital for a stomachache, nor does he like to end up paying perhaps 10 times the price of the food he unwisely ate in the first place. 

The good news? I have learned that I do not like Ayam Taliwang, nor does it like me.