Corn, or batar, is one of the most important crops grown in Timor-Leste and has been cultivated on the island for centuries. Farmers grow it on hillside plots across the country, and at harvest time the golden cobs are dried in the sun and stored to be used throughout the year. Batar daan is the heart of Timorese home cooking.
To make batar daan, dried corn kernels are first soaked in water overnight and then cooked for a long time with mung beans. Pumpkin is added towards the end and becomes so soft it almost melts into the stew. The result is thick, slightly sweet and very filling - a bowl of it keeps a farmer or schoolchild going for hours.
In Timorese villages, batar daan is often cooked over a wood fire in a large pot, and the whole family gathers to eat together. It is considered a dish of generosity - when guests arrive unexpectedly, a pot of batar daan can be started and everyone fed from it. The smell of it cooking is said to signal home and welcome.
At school, many Timorese children eat batar daan for lunch. It is nutritious - corn provides energy, mung beans provide protein and pumpkin provides vitamins. Nutritionists who work in Timor-Leste point to it as one of the most balanced traditional foods in the whole island.