Rice and Fish

Bitung, near the Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Bags of rice are priced for sale by the cup, in the market at Aertembaga Market, Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Rices

Here are a couple more available-light shots from the Aertembaga Market, in Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It comes as no surprise to anyone that rice is a staple food in Indonesia. What impressed me was the number of superficially identical varieties for sale — each with its own price. Our guide in the market explained that each type of rice is used for a different preparation and/or a different meal. There were a number of rice stands in the market. Some had rice by the bag; others had bins, buckets, or bowls of rice for sale. On each table there was also a scale and a scoop or measuring cup.

There were also a number of stands selling meats, fish, and vegetables of all types. Some were raw, and some were precooked. Some were even already on sticks, ready to eat. One fish stand happened to be perfectly placed in a rare ray of sunlight, illuminating the pile of smoked or dried fish of different types, piled on a newspaper-covered table.

A pile of dried and cooked fish on a newspaper-covered table, in the Aertembaga Market, Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Smoked or Dried

(Top image [“Rices”]: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 prime lens; ASA 200; f/1.8 at 1/30 sec.)

(Lower image [“Smoked or Dried”]: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 lens; ASA 200; f/2.5 at 1/50 sec.)
.