Sumbawa is an island in Indonesia, located to the east of Bali. With a population of about 1.5 million people, and has significantly increased in population since 2005. The island of Sumbawa has two spoken languages. On the Western side of the island, the people speak Basa Semawa, and on the Eastern side of the island the people speak Nggahi Mbojo.
Given the location of the island, Sumbawa culture and religion is greatly influenced by many different countries including India, Vietnam, and the Indochina peninsula. Hindu and Buddhist cultures are both practiced on the island, however most of the people who live there are Muslim.
As an undeveloped country, the majority of work comes from agriculture and natural resources. Tourism is a growing industry on the island, however the island is difficult to reach for tourists.
For an Insight to Sumbawa Culture, watch this video:
Cuisine
Sumbawa offers a cuisine that is popular throughout Indonesia. One of the most popular comes from the island’s capital, Padang. The cuisine is part of everyday life, as associated with religion and tradition. It offers a pleasant combination of ingredients and flavors, which typically consist of fish, coconut and rice. A popular dish that is most often served during the Muslim holiday of 10 Marruban, is that of As-Syura. It is believed that Noah would not have enough room in his arc for a lot of food, so he decided to create a dish that had a lot of different basic ingredients, sufficient enough for the unforeseen road ahead. Other famous dishes include singang, a dish made up of fish and curry and sepat, a fish dish served with dip and rice. All which can be easily located in food stalls throughout the island.
Weddings
Sumbawa culture’s presence is evident through their wedding ceremonies, where it is often “Samulung,” or arranged. However, before wedding plans take a next step, the future groom seeks out information about the bride to get to know her better. Another popular custom is that of barodak, where cleansing and purifying the skin is done before and after the all-night wedding. The wedding ceremony is not only taken care of by the families of the couple, but by the community, Saleng Tulong. Saleng Tulong is a system where Sumbawa people are able to help others by providing food, especially in wedding ceremonies.
Head Butting Dance:
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