"Asam Sunti" is a kind of typical Aceh herbs made from processed belimbing (Overhoa Bilimbi). Utilization of Sunti Acid in various cuisines of Aceh aims to provide a sour taste and add acidity to the cuisine. Sunti sour flavors can be found in almost every aceh dish. Understandably the tongue of the people of Aceh are accustomed to the taste of spices "hard and brave" so do not be surprised if tasting Aceh cuisine is almost the same as consuming herbs complete without bitterness.
The belimbing plants that flourish in the Aceh region and bear fruit throughout the seasons to cultivate knowledge for the Aceh to cultivate these fruits into the flavor of a typical flavored kitchen. As is known that the star fruit tree can bear fruit throughout the season and can be arranged fertilization manually.
Forcing the star fruit fertilization is done by a very simple method that is by trimming all the leaves that grow. Not long after the pruning, all the stems and twigs of the tree will be filled with starfish flowers are dark red. Because there are no pests that like to attack or prey on star fruit, then the harvest time is just a matter of time.
The mature fruit starfruit that grows clustered throughout the stalk is harvested and placed in a container that is usually a bucket or other plastic container. Furthermore, the fruits that have been harvested are soaked with water for 1 day. The purpose of this immersion so that the starfruit to absorb water and quickly wilt / inert at the time of drying the next day.
The next day the fruit that had been soaked changed its color from green to a ripe yellowish filled with water. The fruit is then dried in the sun by plastic. The purpose of the use of plastic mats so that water seepage of fruit is not wasted and able to "boil" star fruit stared by the sun. In the afternoon the fruit that was yellowish will turn yellow withered and become slightly wrinkled. The next day the star fruit back dried until it turns brown wrinkled. If the day is quite hot enough the initial drying is only 1-2 days. At this stage the process of salting has not been done.
In the afternoon after star fruit looks wrinkled and yellowish brown, the fruit is collected and sprinkled with salt until evenly distributed. The fruit is turned back to ensure all starfruit get a sprinkling of salt evenly. Uneven salt sowing will cause the fungus to sprout during storage. It also causes the color that will be produced by sunti acid will become dark brown tends to be less attractive black. This is where the secret of making sunti acid to produce sunti with interesting flavors and colors.
The next day the half-dried fruit star fruit was dried in the sun. This time the drying is done over a container capable of draining water. Traditional drying containers are usually made of woven coconut leaves. This woven in the local language is called bleut. Drying on the bleut is intended for the water drain no longer soak starfruit and the process of making sunti acid can be completed.
In the afternoon sunti acid that has been half so returned sprinkled with salt evenly as the previous day. This same process is repeated the next day. After drying 4-5 days depending on the hot sun the process of making sunti acid has finished already.
The finished sunti acid is stored in a closed, dry container. Good storage can guarantee sunti acid can last up to one year. Sunti acid can continue to be used and does not decompose as long as the storage container remains dry. High acid and salt levels become an inhibiting factor for the development of fungi and bacteria. Prolonged storage in a dry container causes only discoloration of the sunti acid. The sunti that has been stored for a long time turns black even though it does not change the taste.
Typical taste of sunti acid raises its own longing for Acehnese migrants wherever they are. Not infrequently friends or relatives are monitored always ask for shipped sunti acid. In addition, for those who have just returned from the village certainly do not forget the sunti acid as the obligatory souvenir from the village. Sunti acid also always be coveted as a robbery by friends who know if there are relatives or friends who just returned from the village.