Holiday Ayo - Sunda tribe is one of the ethnic groups in Indonesia, who live in the west part of Java Island and a part of Banten Province. It is one of the oldest ethnic groups in this country, and has existed since the Hindu-Buddhist civilization in Indonesia.

Sundanese people have various arts and traditions. One of them is a tradition called Ngaliwet, which has existed since a long time ago. The name came from the word “Liwet” which is the name of a rice dish that is cooked with various spices. Therefore, in a way, Ngaliwet means cooking Liwet rice dish along with other side dishes and condiments.

As a tribe whose livelihood was mainly from farming, Sundanese people spent a large amount of time in the forests or mountains. They often brought Liwet as their lunch, wrapped in banana leaves.

As cited from Lokalisme.id, the tradition of Ngaliwet is still practiced by the Sundanese people today, although there are more variations. This tradition is more than just eating together. It aims to strengthen solidarity and the sense of togetherness.

Traditionally, there are steps in Ngaliwet. The first one is planning, in which the people schedule the time and place for it and what dishes that will be served. People either gather ingredients collectively or just pay dues that will be used to buy the ingredients.

The second step is cooking, frying, steaming, and processing the ingredients. The people will divide jobs. There are those who are cooking and those who are preparing the place where the dishes will be served.

The third step is the serving. The dishes are served on banana leaves on the floor. This is when the people will gather around the leaves to eat together. The reason why Ngaliwet is very popular among Sundanese people is because after doing everything together, eating together at the end of it makes it feel more rewardin.