In a part of the world where raw food is not much prized, the Sundanese inhabitants of West Java are noted for their love of lalaban or raw greens. This preference reflects the abundant nearby foliage, particularly around Bogor, the rainy city. An apocryphal story has it that a houseguest is no bother for a Sundanese household because at mealtimes the guest will be content when provided with a bit of salt and sambal (chili paste) and sent to the garden to graze! In a similar vein, Sunda-nese are said to eat all kinds of leaves with only three exceptions – the leaf of a door, the leaf of a window and the leaf of an ear (a literal translation from bahasa).

For foodies, Vila Botani is THE place to indulge in lalaban. Although it is not quite true that all manner of leaves can be eaten, we do provide at least 17 kinds of lalaban, grown either on the property or in adjacent jungle and all organic. At Vila Botani, lalaban can be eaten either in the traditional way with spicy sambal, or as a mixed salad together with rocket, Romaine lettuce and a Western dressing of olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. You can also choose to order one or more specific leaves based on the remedies that you require.