MUSLIH bin Risan memorized one of President Sukarno's favorites. Especially if not pecel sauce. He was almost always at the president's family table. "If baseball is there, you must ask," said Muslih (70), a former personal servant of the Sukarno family, to Historia.
Sambal pecel always accompany Sukarno's lunch, usually served with catfish plus fresh vegetables of cassava and papaya leaves. Sukarno will pick right from the tear and eat it with his hands spoon and fork.
"If you again eat pecel catfish, you like 'do not remember the surroundings'," Muslih said with a chuckle.
Every forth to Blitar, Sukarno did not want to miss the opportunity to enjoy the famous Blitar pecel. He will look for Mbok Rah, the seller of pecel rice, to devour 2-3 pecel pecel in the morning. According to Guruh Sukarno in Bung Karno & Kesayangannya, Sukarno became a customer of Mbok Rah since 1950. "Well if you are enjoying, even though the name of the Indonesian Revolution stops, surely you will not take a headache!" Guntur said.
Returning to Jakarta, Mbok Rah's pecel flavor was brought along as well. Spices that also accompany Sukarno in a trip to foreign countries. Especially if none of the food in a country fits on his tongue. For example in Mongolia where all food is always mixed with horse milk. "There every day father always eat bread with pecel sauce only. Sometimes also with soy sauce, "said Guruh.
In Europe or America, Sukarno usually asks for fresh salads without sauce to the hotel management or the head of the palace household there. Instead of sauce, Sukarno melted the pecel sauce he brought. Be delicious Indonesian salad and ready to eat.
After Mpok Pin, Sukarno avid pecel Mbok Pin aka Rukiyem. When Mbok Pin arrives, Sukarno's face sumringah then crouched while pointing at the leaves he loved. "I know how much to give the sauce and what leaves are the joys of Bung Karno," said Mbok Pin to Anjar Any, author of the book Unveils Bung Karno.
Aware her husband is a big fan of pecel, the wives of Sukarno always make and provide pecel pecel at home. In Likes Fatmawati Sukarno Written by Kadjat Adra'i, Fatmawati said, "Learning can be from anyone, for example from baskets pecel while still in Bengkulu."
"I recall that after returning from Istana to Kebayoran (Fatmawati house), fitting in Tenabang Market, Pak Dalimin must be sent down by Mother to buy chili pepper and shrimp paste to make pecel," muslim said Dalimin Ronoatmodjo, one member of family guard President Sukarno.
Hartini also learned to make at the same time enjoy it to win the attention of the husband. "Although Hartini actually does not like the food," said Anjar Any.
When he had met his favorite food, Sukarno devoured his life without looking back and forth. "He ate like a devil," said Howard P. Jones, former ambassador of the United States in Indonesia, quoted Anjar Any.
Jones once asked him directly to Sukarno on an occasion. The answer: "Because of the old habit of being a political prisoner of the Dutch East Indies government in Sukamiskin Prison, Bandung."